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Detection Strategies DET0314 — Detection Strategy for Network Sniffing Across Platforms
DET0314

Detection Strategy for Network Sniffing Across Platforms

5 analytic(s) · 1 technique(s) detected

Analytics

5
AN0875 Analytic 0875
Windows

Detects suspicious execution of network monitoring tools (e.g., Wireshark, tshark, Microsoft Message Analyzer), driver loading indicative of promiscuous mode, or non-admin user privilege escalation to access NICs for capture.

WinEventLog:Security EventCode=4688 WinEventLog:System EventCode=7045
[ToolNames] Adjust list of known sniffing tools based on environment and known administrator usage.
[TimeWindow] Tune time of day or frequency of capture sessions to reduce false positives from authorized use.
AN0876 Analytic 0876
Linux

Correlates interface mode changes to promiscuous with execution of sniffing tools like tcpdump, tshark, or custom pcap libraries. Detects abnormal NIC configurations and unauthorized sniffing from non-root sessions.

auditd:SYSCALL execve, setifflags auditd:SYSCALL promiscuous mode transitions (ioctl or ifconfig) networkconfig interface flag PROMISC, netstat | ip link | ethtool
[InterfaceList] Limit analysis to external interfaces (e.g., eth0, wlan0) and exclude virtual adapters.
[PromiscuousSessionThreshold] Raise alerts if interface remains in PROMISC longer than threshold duration.
AN0877 Analytic 0877
macOS

Detects enabling of interface sniffing via packet capture tools or AppleScript triggering `tcpdump`. Leverages Unified Logs and process lineage to identify suspicious use of `pfctl`, `tcpdump`, or `libpcap` libraries.

macos:unifiedlog eventMessage = 'promiscuous' macos:osquery process_events where path like '%tcpdump%' fs:fsusage access to BPF devices or interface IOCTLs
[AllowedTools] Whitelist Apple-native tools used by IT admins and mobile device management (MDM).
[UserContext] Prioritize detections from non-admin or low-privilege users performing packet captures.
AN0878 Analytic 0878
IaaS

Detects creation of traffic mirroring sessions (e.g., AWS VPC Traffic Mirroring, Azure vTAP) that redirect traffic from critical assets to other virtual instances, often followed by file creation or session establishment.

AWS:CloudTrail CreateTrafficMirrorSession / ModifyTrafficMirrorTarget
[MirrorSourceList] Identify VMs or containers where mirror sessions are abnormal or unexpected.
[TargetIAMRole] Monitor whether mirror target roles match administrative expectations.
AN0879 Analytic 0879
Network Devices

Detects execution of capture commands via CLI (`monitor capture`, `debug packet`, etc.) or unauthorized CLI access followed by logging configuration changes on Cisco/Juniper/Arista gear.

networkdevice:syslog admin login events networkdevice:syslog exec command='monitor capture' networkdevice:syslog config change (e.g., logging buffered, pcap buffers)
[AdminSessionDuration] Tunable alerting threshold for interactive CLI sessions.
[CaptureCommandList] Define set of known capture/debug commands per vendor to flag unexpected usage.

Detected Techniques

1

Credential Access (1)

Details

MITRE ID
DET0314
STIX ID
x-mitre-detection-strategy--49505f6d-b778-4a84-a072-9236b700e7b5
Analytics
5
Techniques Detected
1
By Tactic
Credential Access
1
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