Detection rules › Sublime MQL

Service abuse: Cisco secure email service with financial request

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

Detects messages abusing Cisco's secure email service (res.cisco.com) that contain financial topics or invoice requests, with mismatched reply-to domains and undisclosed recipients.

Threat classification

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

CategoryValues
Attack typesBEC/Fraud
Tactics and techniquesImpersonation: Brand, Social engineering, Evasion

Event coverage

Rule body MQL

type.inbound
and sender.email.domain.domain == 'res.cisco.com'
and any(headers.reply_to, .email.domain.domain != 'res.cisco.com')
and (
  length(recipients.to) == 0
  or all(recipients.to, .display_name == "Undisclosed recipients")
)
and (
  any(ml.nlu_classifier(body.current_thread.text).topics,
      .name in ("Financial Communications", "Request to View Invoice")
  )
  or any(ml.nlu_classifier(subject.base).entities, .name == "financial")
)

Detection logic

Scope: inbound message.

Detects messages abusing Cisco's secure email service (res.cisco.com) that contain financial topics or invoice requests, with mismatched reply-to domains and undisclosed recipients.

  1. inbound message
  2. sender.email.domain.domain is 'res.cisco.com'
  3. any of headers.reply_to where:
    • .email.domain.domain is not 'res.cisco.com'
  4. any of:
    • length(recipients.to) is 0
    • all of recipients.to where:
      • .display_name is 'Undisclosed recipients'
  5. any of:
    • any of ml.nlu_classifier(body.current_thread.text).topics where:
      • .name in ('Financial Communications', 'Request to View Invoice')
    • any of ml.nlu_classifier(subject.base).entities where:
      • .name is 'financial'

Inspects: body.current_thread.text, headers.reply_to, headers.reply_to[].email.domain.domain, recipients.to, recipients.to[].display_name, sender.email.domain.domain, subject.base, type.inbound. Sensors: ml.nlu_classifier.

Indicators matched (5)

FieldMatchValue
sender.email.domain.domainequalsres.cisco.com
recipients.to[].display_nameequalsUndisclosed recipients
ml.nlu_classifier(body.current_thread.text).topics[].namememberFinancial Communications
ml.nlu_classifier(body.current_thread.text).topics[].namememberRequest to View Invoice
ml.nlu_classifier(subject.base).entities[].nameequalsfinancial