DNS to Commonly Abused Web Services

Last updated 12 days ago on 2026-05-26
Created a month ago on 2026-05-04

About

Adversaries may implement command and control (C2) communications that use common web services to hide their activity. This attack technique is typically targeted at an organization and uses web services common to the victim network, which allows the adversary to blend into legitimate traffic activity. These popular services are typically targeted since they have most likely been used before compromise, which helps malicious traffic blend in.
Tags
Domain: EndpointDomain: NetworkOS: LinuxUse Case: Threat DetectionTactic: Command and ControlTactic: ExfiltrationData Source: Elastic DefendRule Type: BBRLanguage: eql
Severity
low
Risk Score
21
MITRE ATT&CK™

Command and Control (TA0011)(external, opens in a new tab or window)

Exfiltration (TA0010)(external, opens in a new tab or window)

License
Elastic License v2(external, opens in a new tab or window)

Definition

Rule Type
Event Correlation Rule
Integration Pack
Prebuilt Security Detection Rules
Index Patterns
logs-endpoint.events.network-*
Related Integrations

endpoint(external, opens in a new tab or window)

Query
text code block:
network where host.os.type == "linux" and dns.question.name != null and process.name != null and dns.question.name like~ ( /* Google services */ "drive.google.com", "docs.google.com", "script.google.com", "script.googleusercontent.com", "*googleapis.com", "calendar.app.google*", /* Dropbox */ "api.dropboxapi.com", "content.dropboxapi.com", "*dl.dropboxusercontent.com", /* Microsoft / OneDrive / SharePoint */ "api.onedrive.com", "*.onedrive.org", "onedrive.live.com", "*files.1drv.com", "graph.microsoft.com", "*.sharepoint.com", "login.live.com", "g.live.com", /* Slack */ "*slack.com", "slack-redir.net", "slack-files.com", /* Discord */ "discord.com", "cdn.discordapp.com", "discordapp.com", /* Telegram */ "api.telegram.org", "t.me", /* Azure / Cloud storage */ "apis.azureedge.net", "*.blob.core.windows.net", "*.blob.storage.azure.net", "*azurewebsites.net", /* GitHub / Dev hosting */ "api.github.com", "raw.githubusercontent.*", "gist.githubusercontent.com", "rawcdn.githack.*", "*.notabug.org", /* Developer tunnels / reverse proxies */ "*.devtunnels.ms", "*global.rel.tunnels.api.visualstudio.com", "*.ngrok.io", "*.ngrok-free.app", "*.portmap.*", "serveo.net", "*localtunnel.me", "*pagekite.me", "*.trycloudflare.com", /* AWS */ "*s3.amazonaws.com", /* Paste services */ "pastebin.*", "paste4btc.com", "paste.ee", "ghostbin.com", "paste.nrecom.net", "zerobin.net", "controlc.com", "pastecode.dev", "paste.rs", "hastebin.com", "dpaste.org", "dpaste.com", "0bin.net", "paste.ofcode.org", "paste.wakas.org", "nopaste.net", /* File sharing / exfiltration */ "filebin.net", "file.io", "transfer.sh", "*.gofile.io", "workupload.com", "*upload.ee", "*anonfiles.com", "api.anonfile.com", "*bayfiles.com", "*bublup.com", "*dropfiles.org", "*dropmefiles.com", "*easyupload.io", "*filetransfer.io", "*sendspace.com", "*share.riseup.net", "*temp.sh", "*tempsend.com", "*ufile.io", "*send.now", "*send.cm", "*sendit.sh", "*pixeldrain.com", "*megaupload.com", "*mediafire.com", "*bashupload.com", "*bujang.online", "mediafire.zip", "*.4shared.com", "filecloud.me", "*.pcloud.com", "*catbox.moe", /* CDN / hosting / generic file infra */ "*cdnmegafiles.com", "www.uplooder.net", "?.top4top.io", "top4top.io", "*.b-cdn.net", "cdn*.space", "i.ibb.co", "i.imgur.com", /* Webhooks / testing / bins */ "webhook.site", "run.mocky.io", "mockbin.org", "requestbin.net", /* Public hosting / misc infra */ "*.publicvm.com", "*.blogspot.com", "*infinityfreeapp.com", "free.keep.sh", "*.aternos.me", "*hosting-profi.de", /* IP / network utilities */ "api.mylnikov.org", "ipbase.com", "*.getmyip.com", "myexternalip.com", "*.geojs.io", "*api.2ip.ua", "*api.db-ip.com", "*api.ip.sb", "*api.ipify.org", "*api.myip.com", "*api.npoint.io", "*api64.ipify.org", "*bot.whatismyipaddress.com", "*checkip.amazonaws.com", "*checkip.dyndns.org", "*curlmyip.com", "*eth0.me", "*freegeoip.app", "*freegeoip.net", "*freeipapi.com", "*geoiptool.com", "*geolocation-db.com", "*httpbin.org", "*icanhazip.com", "*ident.me", "*ifcfg.me", "*ifconfig.me", "*inet-ip.info", "*ip-api.com", "*ip.appspot.com", "*ip.tyk.nu", "*ip4.seeip.org", "*ipecho.net", "*ipinfo.io", "*iplogger.*", "*ipof.in", "*ipwho.is", "*ipwhois.app", "*ipv4.icanhazip.com", "*ipv6.icanhazip.com", "*myip.dnsomatic.com", "*myip.ipip.net", "*myip.opendns.com", "*portmap.io", "*wgetip.com", "*whatismyip.akamai.com", "*wtfismyip.com", /* Social / platforms */ "mbasic.facebook.com", "*.zulipchat.com", "stackoverflow.com", /* Package hosting */ "files.pythonhosted.org", /* Databases / backend platforms */ "*.supabase.co", "*.elastic-cloud.com", "*.cloud.es.io", /* Misc / suspicious */ "*up.freeo*.space", "*icp0.io", "updates.peer2profit.com", "meacz.gq", "rwrd.org", "lobfile.com", "ftpupload.net", "the.earth.li", /* URL shorteners */ "*shorturl.at", "*tinyurl.com", "*bit.ly", "*cutt.ly", "*is.gd", "*rebrand.ly", "*rebrandly.com", "*adf.ly", "*rb.gy", "tiny.one", "t.ly", "urlz.fr", "rentry.co", /* Crypto mining pools */ "*.nicehash.com", "stratum*.nicehash.com", "*.2miners.com", "*.moneroocean.stream", "*.supportxmr.com", "*.nanopool.org", "*.f2pool.com", "*.poolbinance.com", "*.antpool.com", "*.viabtc.com", "*.braiins.com", "*.slushpool.com", /* Decentralized */ "ipfs.io", "*.ipfs.io", "dweb.link", "*.dweb.link", "*.ipfs.dweb.link", "*.ipns.dweb.link", "gateway.pinata.cloud", "*.mypinata.cloud", "web3.storage", "*.web3.storage", "nftstorage.link", "*.nftstorage.link", "arweave.net", "*.arweave.net", "ar.io", "*.ar.io", "ic0.app", "*.ic0.app", "icp0.io", "*.icp0.io", "*.storjshare.io" ) and not process.executable like ( "/opt/google-cloud-ops-agent/subagents/fluent-bit/bin/fluent-bit", "/usr/lib/systemd/systemd-resolved", "/opt/Elastic/Agent/data/elastic-agent-*/components/elastic-otel-collector", "/usr/bin/dockerd", "/usr/bin/google_osconfig_agent", "/snap/firefox/*/usr/lib/firefox/firefox", "/usr/bin/warp-svc", "/var/lib/docker/overlay2/*/merged/usr/local/bin/node", "/snap/chromium/*/usr/lib/chromium-browser/chrome", "/opt/google-cloud-ops-agent/subagents/opentelemetry-collector/otelopscol", "/usr/local/bin/rclone", "/var/lib/elastic-agent/data/elastic-agent-*/components/elastic-otel-collector", "/opt/google/chrome/chrome", "/usr/bin/pihole-FTL" )

Install detection rules in Elastic Security

Detect DNS to Commonly Abused Web Services in the Elastic Security detection engine by installing this rule into your Elastic Stack.

To setup this rule, check out the installation guide for Prebuilt Security Detection Rules(external, opens in a new tab or window).