Detection rules › Sublime MQL
Benefits enrollment impersonation
Detects messages about benefit enrollment periods and healthcare selections from external senders that contain urgent language or requests for action. Excludes legitimate HR communications, marketing mailers, and trusted sender domains with valid authentication.
Threat classification
Sublime's own taxonomy (not MITRE ATT&CK).
| Category | Values |
|---|---|
| Attack types | Credential Phishing |
| Tactics and techniques | Evasion, Impersonation: Employee, Out of band pivot, Social engineering |
Event coverage
Rule body MQL
type.inbound
and sender.email.domain.domain not in $org_domains
and (
length(body.current_thread.text) < 5000 or body.current_thread.text is null
)
and (
regex.icontains(subject.subject,
'(open|benefits?) enrol{1,2}ment', // catches both enrolment and enrollment
'benefit(s)?.{0,10}(?:plan|choice|selection|deadline|period|summary)',
'hr benefits',
'annual enrol{1,2}ment',
'healthcare (choice|selection|opt.?in)',
'(fsa|hsa|401k) (enrol{1,2}ment|selection)',
'dependent (coverage|verification)',
'(health|dental|vision|insurance|medical) enrol{1,2}ment'
)
or regex.icontains(body.current_thread.text,
'benefit(s)? (plan|choice|selection|deadline|period)',
'hr benefits',
'annual enrol{1,2}ment',
'healthcare (choice|selection|opt.?in)',
'(fsa|hsa|401k) (enrol{1,2}ment|selection)',
'dependent (coverage|verification)',
'(health|dental|vision|insurance|medical) enrol{1,2}ment',
'(urgent|immediate) action required.{0,20}(benefit|enrol{1,2}ment)',
'coverage.{0,20}(expire|terminate)',
'last (day|chance).{0,20}(enrol{1,2}|select)',
'(login|sign.?in).{0,20}(benefit portal|hr portal)',
'(verify|update|confirm).{0,20}(benefit.{0,20}selection)'
)
or any(attachments,
regex.icontains(.file_name,
'fileDoc-Review',
'(open|benefits?) enrol{1,2}ment',
'annual enrol{1,2}ment',
'(fsa|hsa|401k) (enrol{1,2}ment|selection)',
'(urgent|immediate) action required.{0,20}(benefit|enrol{1,2}ment)',
)
)
)
and 2 of (
any(ml.nlu_classifier(body.current_thread.text).entities,
.name in ("urgency", "request")
),
any(ml.nlu_classifier(body.current_thread.text).intents, .name != "benign"),
(
(length(body.current_thread.text) < 250 and length(attachments) == 1)
or (body.current_thread.text is null and length(attachments) == 1)
),
// lure in attachment
(
any(attachments,
(
.file_type in $file_types_images
or .file_type in ("pdf", "docx", "doc")
or .file_extension in $file_extensions_macros
)
and any(filter(file.explode(.), .scan.ocr.raw is not null),
(
any(ml.nlu_classifier(.scan.ocr.raw).intents,
.name != "benign"
)
and any(ml.nlu_classifier(.scan.ocr.raw).entities,
.name in ("urgency", "request")
)
)
)
)
)
)
// negate replies
and (length(headers.references) == 0 or headers.in_reply_to is null)
// Negate common marketing mailers
and not regex.icontains(sender.display_name,
'HR (?:Events|Expert|Support Center|Studies|Knowledge Cloud|News Library|Crowd|Solutions|Interests)|HR and People Operations'
)
and not (
// Constant Contact
any(headers.hops,
strings.icontains(.authentication_results.spf_details.designator,
"constantcontact.com"
)
)
or any(headers.hops,
strings.icontains(.received_spf.designator, "constantcontact.com")
)
or (
(
any(headers.hops,
.index == 0
and any(.authentication_results.dkim_details,
.domain == "auth.ccsend.com"
)
)
)
and headers.auth_summary.dmarc.pass
)
or any(headers.references, strings.iends_with(., "ccsend.com"))
// Hubspot
or any(headers.hops,
strings.icontains(.authentication_results.spf_details.designator,
"hubspotemail.net"
)
)
)
and sender.email.domain.root_domain not in~ (
'medicare.gov',
'farmers.com',
'uhc.com',
'blueshieldca.com',
'corestream.com'
)
and (
profile.by_sender().prevalence in ("new", "outlier")
or (
profile.by_sender().any_messages_malicious_or_spam
and not profile.by_sender().any_messages_benign
)
)
// negate highly trusted sender domains unless they fail DMARC authentication
and (
(
sender.email.domain.root_domain in $high_trust_sender_root_domains
and not headers.auth_summary.dmarc.pass
)
or sender.email.domain.root_domain not in $high_trust_sender_root_domains
)
Detection logic
Scope: inbound message.
Detects messages about benefit enrollment periods and healthcare selections from external senders that contain urgent language or requests for action. Excludes legitimate HR communications, marketing mailers, and trusted sender domains with valid authentication.
- inbound message
- sender.email.domain.domain not in $org_domains
any of:
- length(body.current_thread.text) < 5000
- body.current_thread.text is missing
any of:
subject.subject matches any of 8 patterns
(open|benefits?) enrol{1,2}mentbenefit(s)?.{0,10}(?:plan|choice|selection|deadline|period|summary)hr benefitsannual enrol{1,2}menthealthcare (choice|selection|opt.?in)(fsa|hsa|401k) (enrol{1,2}ment|selection)dependent (coverage|verification)(health|dental|vision|insurance|medical) enrol{1,2}ment
body.current_thread.text matches any of 12 patterns
benefit(s)? (plan|choice|selection|deadline|period)hr benefitsannual enrol{1,2}menthealthcare (choice|selection|opt.?in)(fsa|hsa|401k) (enrol{1,2}ment|selection)dependent (coverage|verification)(health|dental|vision|insurance|medical) enrol{1,2}ment(urgent|immediate) action required.{0,20}(benefit|enrol{1,2}ment)coverage.{0,20}(expire|terminate)last (day|chance).{0,20}(enrol{1,2}|select)(login|sign.?in).{0,20}(benefit portal|hr portal)(verify|update|confirm).{0,20}(benefit.{0,20}selection)
any of
attachmentswhere:.file_name matches any of 5 patterns
fileDoc-Review(open|benefits?) enrol{1,2}mentannual enrol{1,2}ment(fsa|hsa|401k) (enrol{1,2}ment|selection)(urgent|immediate) action required.{0,20}(benefit|enrol{1,2}ment)
at least 2 of:
any of
ml.nlu_classifier(body.current_thread.text).entitieswhere:- .name in ('urgency', 'request')
any of
ml.nlu_classifier(body.current_thread.text).intentswhere:- .name is not 'benign'
any of:
all of:
- length(body.current_thread.text) < 250
- length(attachments) is 1
all of:
- body.current_thread.text is missing
- length(attachments) is 1
any of
attachmentswhere all hold:any of:
- .file_type in $file_types_images
- .file_type in ('pdf', 'docx', 'doc')
- .file_extension in $file_extensions_macros
any of
filter(...)where all hold:any of
ml.nlu_classifier(.scan.ocr.raw).intentswhere:- .name is not 'benign'
any of
ml.nlu_classifier(.scan.ocr.raw).entitieswhere:- .name in ('urgency', 'request')
any of:
- length(headers.references) is 0
- headers.in_reply_to is missing
not:
- sender.display_name matches 'HR (?:Events|Expert|Support Center|Studies|Knowledge Cloud|News Library|Crowd|Solutions|Interests)|HR and People Operations'
none of:
any of
headers.hopswhere:- .authentication_results.spf_details.designator contains 'constantcontact.com'
any of
headers.hopswhere:- .received_spf.designator contains 'constantcontact.com'
all of:
any of
headers.hopswhere all hold:- .index is 0
any of
.authentication_results.dkim_detailswhere:- .domain is 'auth.ccsend.com'
- headers.auth_summary.dmarc.pass
any of
headers.referenceswhere:- . ends with 'ccsend.com'
any of
headers.hopswhere:- .authentication_results.spf_details.designator contains 'hubspotemail.net'
- sender.email.domain.root_domain not in ('medicare.gov', 'farmers.com', 'uhc.com', 'blueshieldca.com', 'corestream.com')
any of:
- profile.by_sender().prevalence in ('new', 'outlier')
all of:
- profile.by_sender().any_messages_malicious_or_spam
not:
- profile.by_sender().any_messages_benign
any of:
all of:
- sender.email.domain.root_domain in $high_trust_sender_root_domains
not:
- headers.auth_summary.dmarc.pass
- sender.email.domain.root_domain not in $high_trust_sender_root_domains
Inspects: attachments[].file_extension, attachments[].file_name, attachments[].file_type, body.current_thread.text, headers.auth_summary.dmarc.pass, headers.hops, headers.hops[].authentication_results.dkim_details, headers.hops[].authentication_results.dkim_details[].domain, headers.hops[].authentication_results.spf_details.designator, headers.hops[].index, headers.hops[].received_spf.designator, headers.in_reply_to, headers.references, sender.display_name, sender.email.domain.domain, sender.email.domain.root_domain, subject.subject, type.inbound. Sensors: file.explode, ml.nlu_classifier, profile.by_sender, regex.icontains, strings.icontains, strings.iends_with. Reference lists: $file_extensions_macros, $file_types_images, $high_trust_sender_root_domains, $org_domains.
Indicators matched (32)
| Field | Match | Value |
|---|---|---|
regex.icontains | regex | (open|benefits?) enrol{1,2}ment |
regex.icontains | regex | benefit(s)?.{0,10}(?:plan|choice|selection|deadline|period|summary) |
regex.icontains | regex | hr benefits |
regex.icontains | regex | annual enrol{1,2}ment |
regex.icontains | regex | healthcare (choice|selection|opt.?in) |
regex.icontains | regex | (fsa|hsa|401k) (enrol{1,2}ment|selection) |
regex.icontains | regex | dependent (coverage|verification) |
regex.icontains | regex | (health|dental|vision|insurance|medical) enrol{1,2}ment |
regex.icontains | regex | benefit(s)? (plan|choice|selection|deadline|period) |
regex.icontains | regex | (urgent|immediate) action required.{0,20}(benefit|enrol{1,2}ment) |
regex.icontains | regex | coverage.{0,20}(expire|terminate) |
regex.icontains | regex | last (day|chance).{0,20}(enrol{1,2}|select) |
20 more
regex.icontains | regex | (login|sign.?in).{0,20}(benefit portal|hr portal) |
regex.icontains | regex | (verify|update|confirm).{0,20}(benefit.{0,20}selection) |
regex.icontains | regex | fileDoc-Review |
ml.nlu_classifier(body.current_thread.text).entities[].name | member | urgency |
ml.nlu_classifier(body.current_thread.text).entities[].name | member | request |
attachments[].file_type | member | pdf |
attachments[].file_type | member | docx |
attachments[].file_type | member | doc |
ml.nlu_classifier(filter(...)[].scan.ocr.raw).entities[].name | member | urgency |
ml.nlu_classifier(filter(...)[].scan.ocr.raw).entities[].name | member | request |
regex.icontains | regex | HR (?:Events|Expert|Support Center|Studies|Knowledge Cloud|News Library|Crowd|Solutions|Interests)|HR and People Operations |
strings.icontains | substring | constantcontact.com |
headers.hops[].authentication_results.dkim_details[].domain | equals | auth.ccsend.com |
strings.iends_with | suffix | ccsend.com |
strings.icontains | substring | hubspotemail.net |
sender.email.domain.root_domain | member | medicare.gov |
sender.email.domain.root_domain | member | farmers.com |
sender.email.domain.root_domain | member | uhc.com |
sender.email.domain.root_domain | member | blueshieldca.com |
sender.email.domain.root_domain | member | corestream.com |