Home-based Threat Intelligence

  • 3 minute read

Those of you who read my articles will recall that in my post titled “Escape from Imprisonment“, I enthusiastically discussed the advantages of using a router packed with security features. As I mentioned in the article, I had started using the dnscrypt-proxy tool to encrypt DNS traffic (Dns over HTTPS – DoH).

In today’s world where thermostats are getting smarter, smart TVs are equipped with cameras, and electric water heaters and irons are being turned into spy devices, insecure Internet of Things (IoT) devices connected to our home network pose a great risk to our security and privacy. As I was thinking about how to detect systems in our home network that have been hacked, infected, or contain backdoors, I remembered that thanks to the dnscrypt-proxy tool, I could also record DNS requests made by all systems, devices, and gadgets connected to the home network.

At the point where I could record DNS requests, I realized I could detect malicious systems in my home network by querying the domain names and IP addresses found in these DNS requests through cyber threat intelligence services like Open Threat Exchange (OTX) and Critical Stack. Without wasting time, I started thinking about the list of requirements to bring this idea to life.

First, I decided to install the syslog-ng package on the Ubuntu operating system running on my Mini-PC, which is always at hand and always comes to my aid in such situations. After installing the package, I configured it to record incoming DNS requests in the date.log file under the /var/log/dns-sys/sender’s-ip-address directory and saved this configuration in the /etc/syslog-ng/conf.d/dns-sys.conf file.

Home Based Threat Intel

In the next step, to make the dnscrypt-proxy tool log DNS requests to the router’s syslog, I added the line ‘log-queries’ to the /jffs/configs/dnsmasq.conf.add file. Then, to make the router display these requests on its syslog page, I set the ‘Default message log level‘ and ‘Log only messages more urgent than‘ values to ‘debug‘, and to redirect these messages to the syslog-ng application running on Ubuntu, I defined the ‘Remote Log Server‘ value as the IP address of Ubuntu.

Home Based Threat Intel
Home Based Threat Intel

I started examining the syslog-ng records one by one and looking into which types of records I needed to focus on for threat intelligence. After learning that I could use the query[A], cached, and reply information in the records, I thought I could send these records to Security Onion, which integrates with OTX. After installing and running Security Onion’s 16.04.5.6 operating system, I noticed that the logstash service (so-logstash) wasn’t working at all. Despite my struggle, I was unsuccessful and started researching alternative methods.

Home Based Threat Intel
Home Based Threat Intel

When I shared a message on Twitter about needing to install ELK, I received messages suggesting that I could use cloud and ready-made ELK systems. As I was considering whether to install ELK on Ubuntu or use a cloud system, I learned that Logstash, which has Grok filter and Translate filter plugins, was tailor-made for this job.

Home Based Threat Intel

I started modifying the securityonion-otx script file, which was developed for Security Onion – OTX integration, according to my needs. I set the bro-otx file to save threat intelligence information from OTX to the /etc/logstash/ls-otx/otx.dat file every hour. I also configured the OTX.py file to extract only domain name information from the malicious URL and DOMAIN entries in the otx.dat file and save it as the /etc/logstash/translate/OTX.yaml file to be read by the Translate filter at the 5th minute of every hour.

Home Based Threat Intel
Home Based Threat Intel
Home Based Threat Intel
Home Based Threat Intel

In the configuration file of Logstash (logstash.conf), I defined the rules to read DNS records logged by syslog-ng with the Grok filter and to send an alert via email if any of the IP addresses or domain names in these records match with those in the OTX.yaml file using the Translate filter. Then I restarted Logstash and made an nslookup for the address www[.]aucsellers[.]com listed in the OTX.yaml file. With this, the alert was successfully generated and sent to me by email, and I had successfully implemented the home-based threat intelligence service. :)

Home Based Threat Intel
Home Based Threat Intel
Home Based Threat Intel
Home Based Threat Intel

Hope to see you in the following articles.

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Mert is a well-known and respected Cyber Security Researcher, Speaker and Blogger. He has been living and pursuing his career in the United States with an Alien of Extraordinary Ability visa (EB-1A), an employment-based green card, since October 2022.

As of February 2023, Mert has been working at SOCRadar® Extended Threat Intelligence as the Head of Security Research & Operations. SOCRadar is a cybersecurity company committed to democratizing threat intelligence and providing superior cybersecurity solutions to thousands of companies in hundreds of countries. SOCRadar's mission is to provide organizations of all sizes with the tools to counter cyber threats.

In his current position, Mert has been advising the CEO on strategic decisions that align with the company's mission, objectives, and overall goals.

He has often overseen strategic initiatives by working closely with various departments, such as product development, sales, and marketing. Also, he has been managing the day-to-day operations of the Security Analyst, Support, and Professional Services teams to ensure efficiency, quality, service, and cost-effective management of resources.

In addition, he has been driving innovation across the product by promoting new ideas and features.

Besides that, he has been managing, mentoring, and supporting a cadre of threat researchers, threat hunters, security analysts, and technical content writers who research cyber threats, vulnerabilities, and trends.

From October 2020 to September 2022, Mert demonstrated his expertise as an Executive Vice President / CISO of IT Security & Risk Management Group which incorporates Cyber Defense Center, Cyber Security Technologies, Cyber Security Architecture, Information Security & Risk Management teams (40 HCs) at Intertech. Intertech is an Information Technology subsidiary of DenizBank, owned by Emirates NBD

From January 2018 to September 2020 as the Vice President, Mert was responsible for the management of Akbank's Cyber Defence Center (CDC) which incorporates Vulnerability Management, Threat Detection, Threat Response & Intel, and Security Engineering teams. (26 HCs)

From 2007 to 2017 Mert was responsible for performing and managing penetration tests, malware analysis, security incident detection, and response as a Technical Lead in the Threat & Vulnerability Management team at IBTech. (Information Technology subsidiary of QNB Finansbank)

From 2014 – 2016 Mert instructed Malware Analysis course in Cyber Security Graduate Program at Bahcesehir University.

In 2003 Mert’s career journey began by discovering a security vulnerability on the e-portal web application of the Yeditepe University where he was studying at that time. After sharing his findings with the executives of the university, he was awarded an achievement grant and recruited as an Ethical Hacker. Mert graduated from Yeditepe University, Information Systems and Technologies in 2006 and Yeditepe University, Master of Business Administration program in 2010.

From the beginning of 2011, Mert spoke at more than 30 technical cyber security conferences. In addition, he was invited as a guest speaker to more than 40 universities to share his cyber security career journey and his profession “Ethical Hacker” to the students as a role model.

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