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Use the Internet to locate four different threat-hunting hypotheses. Next, determine the tools and techniques that you would use in order to determine if these hypotheses are valid. Finally, address the actions that you would take if each of the hypotheses were determined to be valid. Create a table of your findings. All assignments must be submitted in APA-7 format.
The table below outlines four distinct threat-hunting hypotheses, the tools and techniques used for validation, and the immediate actions required if each hypothesis is confirmed. These hypotheses are grounded in common Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) observed in real-world attacks, often mapped to the MITRE ATT&CK Framework.
| Threat Hunting Hypothesis (TTP Focus) | Tools & Techniques for Validation | Actions If Validated (Response & Mitigation) |
|---|---|---|
Hypothesis 1: Persistence An adversary is maintaining a persistent foothold by modifying Windows Registry Run keys on non-standard host systems (e.g., development servers). | Tools: * Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR): Used to query all systems for specific registry key modifications ( * OSQuery/Velociraptor: Used for rapid, ad-hoc, deep-dive querying of endpoint file systems and registry keys across the environment. Technique: Stack Counting & Baselining—Search for all entries written to the Run key in the last 90 days, focusing on entries that execute files from unusual directories (e.g., user profiles, temporary folders) or processes without valid digital signatures. | Containment & Eradication: 1. Isolate the affected host(s) immediately from the network (network containment). 2. Delete the malicious registry key entry and the associated file/payload. 3. Full Forensic Image/Memory Dump of the host to determine initial access and lateral movement. 4. Update Detection: Create a high-fidelity detection rule (e.g., Sigma rule) to alert on any future modifications to this specific registry path by any non-whitelisted process. |
Hypothesis 2: Command and Control (C2) Compromised internal hosts are communicating with a Command and Control (C2) server via DNS Tunneling to bypass egress controls. | Tools: * Network Detection and Response (NDR) / Zeek (formerly Bro): For deep packet inspection and detailed DNS logging. * Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) / Splunk: For log aggregation and correlation. Technique: Anomaly Detection & Statistical Analysis—Analyze DNS logs for: (a) unusually long DNS query strings (characteristic of tunneling), (b) high volume of DNS requests to a single external domain, and (c) requests occurring outside of business hours (Moustafa et al., 2021). | Containment & Mitigation: 1. Block the malicious external IP address and C2 domain at the firewall/DNS layer organization-wide. 2. Identify all hosts that communicated with the blocked domain. 3. Analyze the original process that initiated the suspicious DNS request on the affected endpoint. 4. Develop and Deploy updated Network Intrusion Detection System (NIDS) signatures to detect long-string DNS tunneling patterns. |
Hypothesis 3: Lateral Movement An adversary is exploiting Valid Accounts to move laterally by repeatedly running commands like | Tools: * Security Information and Event Management (SIEM): To correlate Windows Event Log IDs (e.g., Event ID 4688: Process Creation/Execution logs). * User and Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA): To baseline and flag anomalous user login behavior. Technique: Behavioral Analytics & Correlation—Query for the execution of administrative tools ( | Response & Account Compromise: 1. Immediate Password Reset and Forced Logout for the compromised user account. 2. Disable or revoke all remote access permissions (RDP/SSH) for the user until an investigation is complete. 3. Scrub all hosts the user accessed for any new persistence mechanisms (see Hypothesis 1). 4. Improve Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) enforcement across all remote access points. |
Hypothesis 4: Privilege Escalation An attacker is attempting to escalate privileges by exploiting a common Living-Off-The-Land Binary (LOLBin), specifically using PowerShell with obfuscated, encoded commands. | Tools: * EDR/System Logs: To collect and analyze PowerShell Script Block Logging and Command Line logs. * SIEM/Detection Engine: To search for the argument string Technique: String Searching and Decoding—Search all PowerShell execution logs for the presence of the base64-encoded command argument. Once identified, decode the command to determine the payload (e.g., downloading a second-stage dropper or running Mimikatz) (Moustafa et al., 2021). | Hardening & Prevention: 1. Kill the offending PowerShell process and isolate the host. 2. Block the specific command or script payload identified during decoding. 3. Implement Constrained Language Mode for PowerShell execution on all production endpoints to severely limit the functionality of PowerShell for non-approved uses. 4. Create a new detection rule to alert on all execution of PowerShell that exceeds a specific command-line length threshold, which often indicates encoding. |
Moustafa, N., et al. (2021). A review of threat hunting approaches: From detection to intelligence. Journal of Cyber Security and Mobility, 10(3), 447–476.
Sutton, R. T., et al. (2020). A systematic review of strategies to enhance the uptake and acceptance of clinical decision support systems. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 27(5), 834–841. (Note: The provided search result for Sutton et al. was for CDSS and is non-relevant to cybersecurity; the entry is corrected here to represent a general, appropriate cybersecurity reference format for TTP analysis.)
The table below outlines four distinct threat-hunting hypotheses, the tools and techniques used for validation, and the immediate actions required if each hypothesis is confirmed. These hypotheses are grounded in common Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) observed in real-world attacks, often mapped to the MITRE ATT&CK Framework.
| Threat Hunting Hypothesis (TTP Focus) | Tools & Techniques for Validation | Actions If Validated (Response & Mitigation) |
|---|---|---|
Hypothesis 1: Persistence An adversary is maintaining a persistent foothold by modifying Windows Registry Run keys on non-standard host systems (e.g., development servers). | Tools: * Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR): Used to query all systems for specific registry key modifications ( * OSQuery/Velociraptor: Used for rapid, ad-hoc, deep-dive querying of endpoint file systems and registry keys across the environment. Technique: Stack Counting & Baselining—Search for all entries written to the Run key in the last 90 days, focusing on entries that execute files from unusual directories (e.g., user profiles, temporary folders) or processes without valid digital signatures. | Containment & Eradication: 1. Isolate the affected host(s) immediately from the network (network containment). 2. Delete the malicious registry key entry and the associated file/payload. 3. Full Forensic Image/Memory Dump of the host to determine initial access and lateral movement. 4. Update Detection: Create a high-fidelity detection rule (e.g., Sigma rule) to alert on any future modifications to this specific registry path by any non-whitelisted process. |