Detection rules › Sublime MQL

Open redirect: smartadserver.com

Severity
medium
Type
rule
Source
github.com/sublime-security/sublime-rules

Message contains use of the smartadserver.com redirect. This has been exploited in the wild.

Threat classification

Sublime's own taxonomy (not MITRE ATT&CK).

CategoryValues
Attack typesCredential Phishing, Malware/Ransomware
Tactics and techniquesOpen redirect

Event coverage

Rule body MQL

type.inbound
// smartadserver is used in benign messages, however, they commonly have many links
// ensure messages contain less than 15 links to ensure higher fidelity matching of malicious messages
and length(body.links) < 15
and any(body.links,
        .href_url.domain.root_domain == "smartadserver.com"
        and strings.icontains(.href_url.query_params, 'go=')
        and not regex.icontains(.href_url.query_params,
                                'go=(?:https?(?:%3a|:))?(?:%2f|\/){2}[^&]*smartadserver\.com(?:\&|\/|$|%2f)'
        )
)
// remove uses that originate from smartadserver.com
and not any(headers.domains, .root_domain == "smartadserver.com")
// 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.

Message contains use of the smartadserver.com redirect. This has been exploited in the wild.

  1. inbound message
  2. length(body.links) < 15
  3. any of body.links where all hold:
    • .href_url.domain.root_domain is 'smartadserver.com'
    • .href_url.query_params contains 'go='
    • not:
      • .href_url.query_params matches 'go=(?:https?(?:%3a|:))?(?:%2f|\\/){2}[^&]*smartadserver\\.com(?:\\&|\\/|$|%2f)'
  4. not:
    • any of headers.domains where:
      • .root_domain is 'smartadserver.com'
  5. 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: body.links, body.links[].href_url.domain.root_domain, body.links[].href_url.query_params, headers.auth_summary.dmarc.pass, headers.domains, headers.domains[].root_domain, sender.email.domain.root_domain, type.inbound. Sensors: regex.icontains, strings.icontains. Reference lists: $high_trust_sender_root_domains.

Indicators matched (4)

FieldMatchValue
body.links[].href_url.domain.root_domainequalssmartadserver.com
strings.icontainssubstringgo=
regex.icontainsregexgo=(?:https?(?:%3a|:))?(?:%2f|\/){2}[^&]*smartadserver\.com(?:\&|\/|$|%2f)
headers.domains[].root_domainequalssmartadserver.com