Sigma rule: Query Tor Onion Address - DNS Client

Rule

Title

Query Tor Onion Address - DNS Client

Status

test

Level

high

Author

Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)

Date

2022-02-20

Modified

2025-09-12

File

rules/windows/builtin/dns_client/win_dns_client_tor_onion.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects DNS resolution of an .onion address related to Tor routing networks

Log source

product

windows

service

dns-client

definition

Requirements: Microsoft-Windows-DNS Client Events/Operational Event Log must be enabled/collected in order to receive the events.

Detection

selection:
    EventID: 3008
    QueryName|endswith:
        - '.hiddenservice.net'
        - '.onion.ca'
        - '.onion.cab'
        - '.onion.casa'
        - '.onion.city'
        - '.onion.direct'
        - '.onion.dog'
        - '.onion.glass'
        - '.onion.gq'
        - '.onion.guide'
        - '.onion.in.net'
        - '.onion.ink'
        - '.onion.it'
        - '.onion.link'
        - '.onion.lt'
        - '.onion.lu'
        - '.onion.ly'
        - '.onion.mn'
        - '.onion.network'
        - '.onion.nu'
        - '.onion.pet'
        - '.onion.plus'
        - '.onion.pt'
        - '.onion.pw'
        - '.onion.rip'
        - '.onion.sh'
        - '.onion.si'
        - '.onion.to'
        - '.onion.top'
        - '.onion.ws'
        - '.onion'
        - '.s1.tor-gateways.de'
        - '.s2.tor-gateways.de'
        - '.s3.tor-gateways.de'
        - '.s4.tor-gateways.de'
        - '.s5.tor-gateways.de'
        - '.t2w.pw'
        - '.tor2web.ae.org'
        - '.tor2web.blutmagie.de'
        - '.tor2web.com'
        - '.tor2web.fi'
        - '.tor2web.io'
        - '.tor2web.org'
        - '.tor2web.xyz'
        - '.torlink.co'
condition: selection

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Unlikely

Tags

• attack.command-and-control
• attack.t1090.003

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1090.003

Related rules

• b55ca2a3-7cff-4dda-8bdd-c7bfa63bf544 (similar)
• a8322756-015c-42e7-afb1-436e85ed3ff5 (similar)

References

• https://www.logpoint.com/en/blog/detecting-tor-use-with-logpoint/
• https://github.com/Azure/Azure-Sentinel/blob/f99542b94afe0ad2f19a82cc08262e7ac8e1428e/Detections/ASimDNS/imDNS_TorProxies.yaml

Read on 2026-11-03T00:58:21.399Z under licence sigma-drl-1.1@d5f4c36a from https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/builtin/dns_client/win_dns_client_tor_onion.yml