Detection rules › Elastic

Curl to Telegram API

Time window
15s
Sequence by
process.entity_id
Source
github.com/elastic/protections-artifacts

Detects when curl is used to access a Telegram API or web endpoint. Several malware samples have been observed utilizing Telegram as a C2, payload delivery, and domain rotation channel, including via t.me bot URLs.

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

Telemetry coverage

Rule body

[rule]
description = """
Detects when curl is used to access a Telegram API or web endpoint. Several malware samples have been observed utilizing
Telegram as a C2, payload delivery, and domain rotation channel, including via t.me bot URLs.
"""
id = "479a2a9e-caba-43ea-b28b-88b1b242edd2"
license = "Elastic License v2"
name = "Curl to Telegram API"
os_list = ["macos"]
version = "1.0.6"

query = '''
sequence by process.entity_id with maxspan=15s
[process where event.type == "start" and event.action == "exec" and 
  process.name in ("curl", "nscurl") and 
  not (process.parent.name == "Telegram" or process.Ext.effective_parent.name == "Telegram")]
[network where event.type == "start" and process.name in ("curl", "nscurl") and destination.domain in ("api.telegram.org", "api.telegram.org.", "t.me", "t.me.")]
'''

min_endpoint_version = "8.16.0"
optional_actions = []
[[actions]]
action = "kill_process"
field = "process.entity_id"
state = 0

[[actions]]
action = "kill_process"
field = "process.parent.entity_id"
state = 0

[[threat]]
framework = "MITRE ATT&CK"
[[threat.technique]]
id = "T1071"
name = "Application Layer Protocol"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1071/"
[[threat.technique.subtechnique]]
id = "T1071.001"
name = "Web Protocols"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1071/001/"



[threat.tactic]
id = "TA0011"
name = "Command and Control"
reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0011/"

[internal]
min_endpoint_version = "8.16.0"

Stages and Predicates

Ordered sequence: each step below must occur in order within 15s, correlated by process.entity_id.

Stage 1: process

[process where event.type == "start" and event.action == "exec" and 
  process.name in ("curl", "nscurl") and 
  not (process.parent.name == "Telegram" or process.Ext.effective_parent.name == "Telegram")]

Stage 2: network

[network where event.type == "start" and process.name in ("curl", "nscurl") and destination.domain in ("api.telegram.org", "api.telegram.org.", "t.me", "t.me.")]

Exclusions

The rule actively suppresses these predicates.

Indicators

These rows show field, operator, and value matches.