Security Toolbox Forensics & Analysis Resources 23 - itnett/FTD02H-N GitHub Wiki
🎯 Case: Investigating a Spear Phishing Email with a Malicious Attachment
Scenario:
In this case, an employee at a financial services company receives an email claiming to be from a trusted partner. The email has a professional appearance, but the employee notices some small discrepancies. The email includes an attachment called "Invoice.pdf," which raises suspicion. You, as a security analyst, have been tasked with investigating whether this email and attachment are malicious.
🔍 Trinn 1: Email Header and Metadata Analysis
Before analyzing the attachment, we begin by checking the email header and metadata to verify the authenticity of the sender and determine whether the email originated from a legitimate source.
Verktøyvalg:
- EmailRep (to investigate the sender’s reputation).
- EmailRep allows you to check if the email address has been involved in phishing or other malicious activities.
- MXToolbox (for email header analysis).
- MXToolbox allows you to analyze the email headers to check for spoofing, DNS records, and IP blacklists.
- PhishTool (to examine email headers and content for phishing indicators).
- PhishTool helps in analyzing email headers, URLs, and attachments.
Handling:
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Examine the Email Header: Use MXToolbox to analyze the email header. Look for discrepancies such as mismatched SPF (Sender Policy Framework) records, DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail) failures, or known blacklisted IP addresses.
- Forventet output: If the sender is spoofed or the domain is not properly verified, this is a red flag indicating a phishing attempt.
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Check the Sender’s Reputation: Run the sender’s email address through EmailRep to see if it has a history of involvement in phishing campaigns or other malicious activity.
- Forventet output: A reputation score that indicates whether the email address is likely compromised or used in malicious activity.
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Analyze for Phishing Indicators: Use PhishTool to gather further details about the email, including any suspicious patterns or embedded URLs.
- Forventet output: Phishing detection and analysis based on email content, headers, and structure.
Neste steg: If the email shows signs of phishing, you can move forward to investigate the attachment, which is critical for further analysis.
💾 Trinn 2: Attachment Analysis
The next step is to analyze the suspicious attachment. Since it is a PDF file, we’ll investigate whether it contains any hidden scripts or exploits that could install malware.
Verktøyvalg:
- PDF Examiner (for basic analysis of PDFs).
- PDF Examiner allows for in-depth analysis of the structure of PDF files to look for embedded objects, scripts, and suspicious actions.
- peepdf (for command-line PDF analysis).
- peepdf is a Python-based tool for analyzing and inspecting PDF files, with a focus on embedded scripts.
- Hybrid Analysis (for dynamic analysis of files).
- Hybrid Analysis is a cloud-based sandbox service where you can submit the attachment and observe its behavior in a virtual machine environment.
Handling:
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Initial Analysis with PDF Examiner: Upload the PDF to PDF Examiner to examine the structure of the file, check for hidden elements, and look for JavaScript or other suspicious code embedded in the PDF.
- Forventet output: If there are any suspicious elements or embedded scripts, PDF Examiner will flag them.
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Deep Dive with peepdf: Use peepdf to explore the structure of the PDF file. This tool can extract any embedded JavaScript, track suspicious actions, and show if the PDF tries to exploit vulnerabilities in the reader.
- Forventet output: A detailed breakdown of the PDF's structure, highlighting any exploit attempts.
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Submit to Hybrid Analysis: Upload the PDF to Hybrid Analysis to run it in a sandbox environment. This will show how the file behaves when opened on a Windows virtual machine and whether it triggers any malicious activity.
- Forventet output: If the PDF tries to connect to external servers or drops any malware, Hybrid Analysis will flag this behavior.
Neste steg: If the PDF file is confirmed to be malicious, it’s time to focus on where the email came from and investigate any malicious URLs embedded in the email or attachments.
🌐 Trinn 3: URL Analysis
At this point, you may find URLs within the email or PDF that lead to malicious websites. It’s essential to analyze these URLs to determine if they are hosting malware or phishing sites.
Verktøyvalg:
- urlscan.io (for scanning and analyzing URLs).
- urlscan.io provides a snapshot of the website, along with information on HTTP headers, requests, and detected malicious behavior.
- VirusTotal (for URL reputation check).
- VirusTotal checks the URL against multiple security vendors and threat databases.
- URLHaus (to cross-check for known malicious URLs).
- URLHaus is a repository of known malicious URLs, commonly used to distribute malware.
Handling:
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URL Scan with urlscan.io: Submit any embedded URLs to urlscan.io to get a visual snapshot of the website and inspect any suspicious content.
- Forventet output: urlscan.io will provide a screenshot of the website, along with its connections and behavior. If there is any indication of phishing or malware, it will be flagged.
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Reputation Check on VirusTotal: Submit the same URL to VirusTotal to cross-reference it with a database of known malicious sites and check for any detection by anti-virus engines.
- Forventet output: VirusTotal will provide a detailed report on whether the URL is flagged for malware, phishing, or other malicious activity.
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Check with URLHaus: Use URLHaus to see if the URL has been listed as malicious, particularly for distributing malware or hosting phishing pages.
- Forventet output: URLHaus will either confirm the URL as malicious or provide more context on the type of malware it may host.
Neste steg: If the URL is confirmed to be malicious, we will now gather more domain information to see if it is part of a larger attack infrastructure or if it’s a compromised legitimate website.
🕵️ Trinn 4: Domain and IP Investigation
It’s important to gather more intelligence on the domain and IP hosting the malicious URL to understand whether this is part of a larger attack or if the website has been compromised.
Verktøyvalg:
- DomainTools (for WHOIS and domain investigation).
- DomainTools provides WHOIS data, domain reputation, and DNS records to understand the age and owner of the domain.
- Shodan (to investigate the hosting infrastructure).
- Shodan is a search engine for internet-connected devices and will show if the domain or IP has open ports or vulnerable services.
- Netcraft (for domain hosting analysis and history).
- Netcraft provides information on the hosting provider, domain age, and previous instances of phishing or attacks from the domain.
Handling:
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WHOIS Lookup with DomainTools: Perform a WHOIS lookup on the domain to see when it was created, who owns it, and whether it’s associated with any known malicious entities.
- Forventet output: If the domain is recently registered or belongs to a known malicious actor, this will help confirm the phishing attempt.
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Infrastructure Analysis with Shodan: Use Shodan to scan the IP address and domain for open ports, services, and vulnerabilities that could indicate whether the domain has been compromised or used for malicious purposes.
- Forventet output: Shodan will show you if the server hosting the domain has any open ports or services, such as exposed SSH or vulnerable web servers.
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Historical Data with Netcraft: Use Netcraft to check the history of the domain, including any previous reports of phishing or malware hosting.
- Forventet output: If the domain has previously been involved in malicious activity, Netcraft will flag it.
Neste steg: With the information collected from the domain and IP investigation, you can conclude if the domain is part of a larger infrastructure used for phishing campaigns.
🛡️ Trinn 5: Incident Response and Remediation (fortsatt)
After confirming the phishing attack and identifying the malicious payloads, it’s crucial to take immediate action to mitigate the threat, document the incident, and ensure the organization is protected against similar attacks in the future.
Verktøyvalg (fortsatt):
- Splunk (for logging and monitoring the incident).
- Splunk is a platform for searching, monitoring, and analyzing machine-generated data from various sources. It’s useful for tracking user activity, endpoint behavior, and correlating events.
- Velociraptor (for endpoint detection and investigation).
- Velociraptor is an endpoint tool that allows you to gather and analyze forensic data, monitor systems for suspicious activity, and perform investigations.
Handling:
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Incident Documentation in TheHive: Use TheHive to create a detailed incident record, capturing all the steps taken during the investigation. This includes email metadata, attachment analysis results, URL analysis findings, and domain information.
- Forventet output: A comprehensive case file that tracks the incident from detection to remediation, helping ensure a structured response process.
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Automate Response with Cortex: Integrate Cortex to automate mitigation actions such as blocking the domain in the organization’s firewall, adding the malicious URL to blacklists, and quarantining the infected machine.
- Forventet output: Automated responses ensure the threat is contained quickly, without manual intervention needed at every stage.
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Continuous Monitoring with Splunk: Set up Splunk to monitor network traffic and user activity for signs of further phishing attempts or attempts to access the malicious domain. This includes setting up alerts for unusual patterns, such as connections to known bad IPs or domain names.
- Forventet output: Continuous monitoring ensures that you can detect similar phishing attempts or unauthorized access attempts in real time.
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Endpoint Detection with Velociraptor: Deploy Velociraptor to perform a deeper investigation on potentially compromised endpoints. Check for evidence of malware persistence or lateral movement within the network.
- Forventet output: A full endpoint report that shows if the malware attempted to spread, modify files, or communicate with a command and control server (C2).
Neste steg: After containing the immediate threat, it's essential to test the security systems to prevent future phishing attacks.
🚨 Trinn 6: Testing and Strengthening Security
Now that the immediate incident has been handled, it's time to ensure that similar attacks can be detected and prevented in the future. This includes running phishing simulations, testing endpoint defenses, and reinforcing email security.
Verktøyvalg:
- Atomic Red Team (for simulating real-world attack scenarios).
- Atomic Red Team provides open-source tests to simulate real-world attacks, including phishing, credential harvesting, and malware deployment.
- Gophish (for phishing simulation).
- Gophish is an open-source phishing framework that allows security teams to test the organization’s ability to detect and respond to phishing campaigns.
- SecurityTrails (for continuous monitoring and asset management).
- SecurityTrails provides domain and IP monitoring, helping you stay ahead of potential attack vectors by keeping track of your organization’s public-facing assets.
Handling:
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Simulate Attacks with Atomic Red Team: Use Atomic Red Team to simulate phishing attacks similar to the one you just investigated. This can include tests that simulate the delivery of malicious email attachments and URL links.
- Forventet output: A report showing how well the organization’s security controls handle phishing attempts, highlighting areas for improvement.
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Run a Phishing Simulation with Gophish: Deploy Gophish to send controlled phishing emails to employees in the organization. This will help evaluate how well users identify phishing emails and whether your email filtering systems are effective.
- Forventet output: A user report showing the success rate of phishing emails and identifying users who may need additional training.
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Monitor Assets with SecurityTrails: Use SecurityTrails to monitor your organization’s public-facing assets, including domains and IP addresses, to ensure they are not being compromised or used in phishing campaigns.
- Forventet output: Continuous monitoring reports that alert you to potential risks or vulnerabilities related to your public infrastructure, allowing you to take action before attackers exploit them.
Neste steg: Use the insights from these simulations and monitoring to fine-tune your organization’s phishing defenses and ensure that email security policies are up to date.
📝 Trinn 7: Documentation and Reporting
As the final step, it’s important to document all findings, response actions, and future recommendations to improve the organization's defenses.
Verktøyvalg:
- IRIS (for incident documentation and case management).
- IRIS is a collaborative platform for documenting incidents, tracking response actions, and generating reports.
- MISP (for sharing IoCs).
- MISP is an open-source threat intelligence platform where you can share indicators of compromise (IoCs) with the wider community.
- DFIRTrack (for forensic tracking and documentation).
- DFIRTrack is a tool for documenting digital forensics investigations and tracking incidents over time.
Handling:
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Document the Case in IRIS: Use IRIS to document all stages of the incident, from initial email receipt and analysis to remediation and testing. Include findings from URL analysis, attachment analysis, and domain investigations.
- Forventet output: A full case file that includes timestamps, actions taken, and findings that can be shared with leadership or used for compliance purposes.
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Share IoCs via MISP: Upload all the indicators of compromise (such as URLs, IP addresses, file hashes) to MISP to share with other organizations or security researchers. This helps prevent the same attack from affecting other targets.
- Forventet output: Shared IoCs that contribute to the global effort to identify and mitigate phishing and malware campaigns.
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Track the Incident in DFIRTrack: Document all aspects of the incident in DFIRTrack for long-term tracking. This allows the organization to build a historical reference for future incidents and use past cases to improve response processes.
- Forventet output: A detailed historical record of the incident that can be used for future training, audits, or investigations.
💡 Konklusjon: Comprehensive Phishing Response and Prevention
By following this comprehensive process, you have:
- Identified a phishing attempt through detailed email and attachment analysis.
- Investigated the malicious domain and URL, confirming it was part of a wider attack.
- Used dynamic analysis tools to confirm the nature of the threat.
- Implemented mitigation actions to protect the organization from further attacks.
- Tested and reinforced the organization’s phishing defenses using simulations and automated tools.
- Shared your findings with the security community to prevent further attacks.
This approach uses a wide range of digital forensics and incident response tools to ensure that phishing threats are identified, mitigated, and prevented from recurring.
🛠️ Oversikt over Verktøy for Phishing-analyse og Forensics
Her er en oversikt over verktøy som kan benyttes i phishing-analyse og forensics-undersøkelser som den tidligere casen. Verktøyene er rangert etter deres egnethet, funksjonalitet og brukervennlighet for de oppgavene de utfører.
🔝 Foretrukkede Verktøy (Best for professional use and comprehensive investigations)
| Verktøy | Beskrivelse | Bruksområde |
|---|---|---|
| VirusTotal | En av de mest kjente verktøyene for å sjekke om URL-er, filer og domener er flagget som ondsinnede av ulike antivirus-motorer. | URL/file reputation check |
| TheHive | Åpen kildekode plattform for hendelseshåndtering. Tillater deg å organisere, spore, og dele hendelser på tvers av team. | Incident response management |
| Hybrid Analysis | Sandkasse som utfører dynamisk analyse av filer og URL-er i et virtuelt miljø. Gir dybderapport om hva som skjer når en fil eller URL åpnes. | Dynamic malware/URL analysis |
| URLHaus | Database for kjente ondsinnede URL-er, hovedsakelig brukt til å distribuere malware. Veldig nyttig for å verifisere om URL-er er kjent som skadelige. | Malware URL cross-check |
| Shodan | Søkemotor for å finne sårbare enheter og tjenester på nettet. Kan brukes til å finne mer informasjon om domenets infrastruktur. | Network/hosting infrastructure analysis |
| Splunk | Avansert plattform for å analysere og korrelere data i sanntid fra ulike systemer og nettverk. Kan brukes til å overvåke aktivitet og logge hendelser. | Logging and real-time monitoring |
| MISP | Open-source threat intelligence platform, perfekt for å dele IoCs (Indicators of Compromise) med andre organisasjoner og eksperter. | Threat intelligence sharing |
👍 Bedre Verktøy (Great tools with high versatility)
| Verktøy | Beskrivelse | Bruksområde |
|---|---|---|
| peepdf | Kommandolinjeverktøy som analyserer PDF-filer for skadelige objekter eller innebygde skript. Perfekt for detaljert PDF-analyse. | PDF analysis for embedded malware |
| MXToolbox | Utfører omfattende e-postanalyse inkludert oppslag av DNS-poster, svartelisting, og e-posthodeanalyse for å avdekke e-postspoofing og misbruk. | Email header analysis |
| urlscan.io | Skanner URL-er for skadelig innhold og gir et grafisk oversiktsbilde over nettstedets struktur og nettverksanrop. | URL visual inspection |
| DomainTools | Gir WHOIS-oppslag, domenereputasjon, og registreringsinformasjon. Veldig nyttig for å forstå opprinnelsen til et domene og sjekke hvor lenge det har eksistert. | Domain reputation and history lookup |
| Velociraptor | Avansert verktøy for å samle inn, analysere og overvåke data fra endepunkter i sanntid. Perfekt for å avdekke skjulte aktiviteter på maskiner. | Endpoint monitoring and live forensics |
| Cortex | Integrasjon med TheHive som lar deg automatisere trusselhåndtering og respons. | Automated response actions |
| Gophish | Et rammeverk for å kjøre phishing-simuleringer for å trene ansatte og teste organisasjonens beredskap mot phishing-angrep. | Phishing simulation and training |
| Autopsy | GUI-basert plattform for analyse av harddisker og digitale enheter, perfekt for diskforensics og å finne skjulte eller slettede filer. | Disk forensics |
🟢 Bra Verktøy (Effective but not always the first choice)
| Verktøy | Beskrivelse | Bruksområde |
|---|---|---|
| EmailRep | Gir en enkel og rask måte å sjekke om en e-postadresse har vært involvert i ondsinnede handlinger som phishing eller spam. | Email reputation check |
| FastIR Collector | Et verktøy for å raskt samle inn viktige artefakter fra Windows-maskiner under en hendelsesrespons, inkludert minne og nettverksinformasjon. | Artifact collection during incident |
| PhishTool | Nettbasert verktøy som kan analysere e-poster for phishing-indikatorer, vedlegg, og innebygde URL-er. | Email phishing analysis |
| FTK Imager | Et populært verktøy for å lage diskbilder og kjøre rask forensics-analyse på maskiner. Kan også trekke ut spesifikke filer fra diskbilder. | Disk imaging and file extraction |
| RegRipper | Spesialverktøy for Windows-registeret, som lar deg trekke ut og analysere registerinnstillinger som kan være indikative for ondsinnet aktivitet. | Windows registry analysis |
| John the Ripper | Kraftig verktøy for å knekke passord som er lagret i skadelige filer eller databaselister. | Password cracking for file decryption |
⚠️ Mindre Egnede Verktøy (Functional but limited or specialized use)
| Verktøy | Beskrivelse | Bruksområde |
|---|---|---|
| LastActivityView | Viser enkle loggdata fra Windows-brukers aktivitet, men gir ikke dybdeanalyse eller sofistikert output. | Basic Windows activity logs |
| KeeFarce | Utdrag KeePass-passord fra minne, men fungerer kun hvis KeePass allerede er i bruk på offerets maskin. | Memory analysis for KeePass passwords |
| dcfldd | Verktøy for diskavbildning, likt dd, men mindre fleksibelt og har noen kjente problemer med nyere systemer. |
Disk imaging for older systems |
| Ghiro | Automatisert verktøy for bildeanalyse. Bra for å analysere metadata fra bilder, men gir begrenset verdi i phishing-saker. | Metadata for image forensics |
| Steghide | Brukt for steganografi (gjemme data i bilder/lydfiler). Nyttig i spesialtilfeller, men sjelden brukt i typiske phishing-undersøkelser. | Steganography detection |
💡 Vurdering av Verktøy for Casen:
- Foretrukne Verktøy (f.eks. VirusTotal, TheHive, Hybrid Analysis, Shodan) er de beste verktøyene å bruke for phishing-undersøkelser med både e-post og vedlegg/URL-analyse. De gir dyp innsikt, rask respons, og automatisert hendelseshåndtering.
- Bedre Verktøy (f.eks. peepdf, urlscan.io, DomainTools) gir spesialiserte funksjoner som er veldig nyttige for spesifikke analyser som PDF-filer, nettverkstilkoblinger, eller domenesøk. De er også kraftige, men kan være litt mer avhengige av manuell interaksjon.
- Bra Verktøy (f.eks. EmailRep, FastIR, FTK Imager) fungerer godt for rask respons eller spesifikke typer analyse, men mangler kanskje noen av de mer avanserte funksjonene til de foretrukne verktøyene.
- Mindre Egnede Verktøy (f.eks. LastActivityView, KeeFarce, Steghide) kan være nyttige i veldig spesifikke situasjoner, men er sjeldent de første verktøyene man velger for en phishing-case.
Dette gir deg en komplett oversikt over hvilke verktøy du bør bruke, og når, for maksimal effektivitet og dekning i en phishing-undersøkelse eller digital forensics-case.