Techniques
Sample rules
Cisco NVM - Suspicious Network Connection to IP Lookup Service API
- source: splunk
- technicques:
- T1590.005
- T1016
Description
This analytic identifies non-browser processes reaching out to public IP lookup or geolocation services,
such as ipinfo.io, icanhazip.com, ip-api.com, and others.
These domains are commonly used by legitimate tools, but their usage outside of browsers may indicate
network reconnaissance, virtual machine detection, or staging by malware.
This activity is observed in post-exploitation frameworks, stealer malware, and advanced threat actor campaigns.
The detection relies on Cisco Network Visibility Module (NVM) telemetry and excludes known browser
processes to reduce noise.
Detection logic
`cisco_network_visibility_module_flowdata`
dest_hostname IN (
"*api.2ip.ua*", "*api.bigdatacloud.net*", "*api.ipify.org*", "*whatismyipaddress.com*",
"*canireachthe.net*", "*checkip.amazonaws.com*", "*checkip.dyndns.org*", "*curlmyip.com*",
"*db-ip.com*", "*edns.ip-api.com*", "*eth0.me*", "*freegeoip.app*", "*geoipy.com*", "*getip.pro*",
"*icanhazip.com*", "*ident.me*", "*ifconfig.io*", "*ifconfig.me*", "*ip-api.com*", "*ip.360.cn*",
"*ip.anysrc.net*", "*ip.taobao.com*", "*ip.tyk.nu*", "*ipaddressworld.com*", "*ipapi.co*",
"*ipconfig.io*", "*ipecho.net*", "*ipinfo.io*", "*ipip.net*", "*iplocation.net*",
"*ipof.in*", "*ipv6-test.com*", "*ipwho.is*", "*trackip.net*", "*inet-ip.info*",
"*jsonip.com*", "*myexternalip.com*", "*seeip.org*", "*wgetip.com*",
"*whatismyip.akamai.com*", "*whois.pconline.com.cn*", "*wtfismyip.com*", "*ip.cn"
)
NOT process_name IN (
"brave.exe", "chrome.exe", "firefox.exe", "iexplore.exe", "maxthon.exe",
"MicrosoftEdge.exe", "msedge.exe", "msedgewebview2.exe", "opera.exe", "safari.exe",
"seamonkey.exe", "vivaldi.exe", "whale.exe"
)
| stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime
values(parent_process_arguments) as parent_process_arguments
values(process_arguments) as process_arguments
values(parent_process_hash) as parent_process_hash
values(process_hash) as process_hash
values(module_name_list) as module_name_list
values(module_hash_list) as module_hash_list
values(dest_port) as dest_port
values(aliul) as additional_logged_in_users_list
values(dest_hostname) as dest_hostname
by src dest parent_process_path parent_process_integrity_level process_path process_name process_integrity_level process_id transport
| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
| table
parent_process_integrity_level parent_process_path parent_process_arguments parent_process_hash
process_integrity_level process_path process_name process_arguments process_hash process_id
additional_logged_in_users_list module_name_list module_hash_list
src dest_hostname dest dest_port transport firstTime lastTime
| `cisco_nvm___suspicious_network_connection_to_ip_lookup_service_api_filter`