Detection rules › Sigma

Suspicious Dropbox API Usage

Status
test
Severity
high
Log source
product windows, category network_connection
Author
Florian Roth (Nextron Systems)
Source
github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma

Detects an executable that isn't dropbox but communicates with the Dropbox API

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

Event coverage

ProviderEventTitle
SysmonEvent ID 3Network connection

Rule body yaml

title: Suspicious Dropbox API Usage
id: 25eabf56-22f0-4915-a1ed-056b8dae0a68
status: test
description: Detects an executable that isn't dropbox but communicates with the Dropbox API
references:
    - https://app.any.run/tasks/7e906adc-9d11-447f-8641-5f40375ecebb
    - https://www.zscaler.com/blogs/security-research/new-espionage-attack-molerats-apt-targeting-users-middle-east
author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems)
date: 2022-04-20
tags:
    - attack.command-and-control
    - attack.exfiltration
    - attack.t1105
    - attack.t1567.002
logsource:
    category: network_connection
    product: windows
detection:
    selection:
        Initiated: 'true'
        DestinationHostname|endswith:
            - 'api.dropboxapi.com'
            - 'content.dropboxapi.com'
    filter_main_legit_dropbox:
        # Note: It's better to add a specific path to the exact location(s) where dropbox is installed
        Image|contains: '\Dropbox'
    condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_*
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate use of the API with a tool that the author wasn't aware of
level: high

Stages and Predicates

Stage 0: condition

selection and not 1 of filter_main_*

Stage 1: selection

selection:
    Initiated: 'true'
    DestinationHostname|endswith:
        - 'api.dropboxapi.com'
        - 'content.dropboxapi.com'

Stage 2: not filter_main_legit_dropbox

filter_main_legit_dropbox:
    Image|contains: '\Dropbox'

Exclusions

Top-level NOT(...) conjuncts: predicates this rule actively suppresses.

FieldKindExcluded values
Imagematch\Dropbox

Indicators

Each row is a field, operator, and value that the rule matches. The corpus column counts how many other rules in the catalog look for the same combination: high numbers point to widely-used, community-vetted indicators. Blank or 1 shows that the indicator is specific to this rule.

FieldKindValues
DestinationHostnameends_with
  • api.dropboxapi.com
  • content.dropboxapi.com
Initiatedeq
  • true corpus 50 (sigma 50)