Sigma rule: Suspicious DNS Query for IP Lookup Service APIs

Rule

Title

Suspicious DNS Query for IP Lookup Service APIs

Status

test

Level

medium

Author

Brandon George (blog post), Thomas Patzke

Date

2021-07-08

Modified

2024-03-22

File

rules/windows/dns_query/dns_query_win_susp_external_ip_lookup.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects DNS queries for IP lookup services such as "api.ipify.org" originating from a non browser process.

Log source

product

windows

category

dns_query

Detection

selection:
    - QueryName:
          - 'www.ip.cn'
          - 'l2.io'
    - QueryName|contains:
          - 'api.2ip.ua'
          - 'api.bigdatacloud.net'
          - 'api.ipify.org'
          - 'bot.whatismyipaddress.com'
          - 'canireachthe.net'
          - 'checkip.amazonaws.com'
          - 'checkip.dyndns.org'
          - 'curlmyip.com'
          - 'db-ip.com'
          - 'edns.ip-api.com'
          - 'eth0.me'
          - 'freegeoip.app'
          - 'geoipy.com'
          - 'getip.pro'
          - 'icanhazip.com'
          - 'ident.me'
          - 'ifconfig.io'
          - 'ifconfig.me'
          - 'ip-api.com'
          - 'ip.360.cn'
          - 'ip.anysrc.net'
          - 'ip.taobao.com'
          - 'ip.tyk.nu'
          - 'ipaddressworld.com'
          - 'ipapi.co'
          - 'ipconfig.io'
          - 'ipecho.net'
          - 'ipinfo.io'
          - 'ipip.net'
          - 'ipof.in'
          - 'ipv4.icanhazip.com'
          - 'ipv4bot.whatismyipaddress.com'
          - 'ipv6-test.com'
          - 'ipwho.is'
          - 'jsonip.com'
          - 'myexternalip.com'
          - 'seeip.org'
          - 'wgetip.com'
          - 'whatismyip.akamai.com'
          - 'whois.pconline.com.cn'
          - 'wtfismyip.com'
filter_optional_brave:
    Image|endswith: '\brave.exe'
filter_optional_chrome:
    Image:
        - 'C:\Program Files\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe'
        - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Chrome\Application\chrome.exe'
filter_optional_firefox:
    Image:
        - 'C:\Program Files\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe'
        - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe'
filter_optional_ie:
    Image:
        - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe'
        - 'C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe'
filter_optional_maxthon:
    Image|endswith: '\maxthon.exe'
filter_optional_edge_1:
    - Image|startswith: 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\EdgeWebView\Application\'
    - Image|endswith: '\WindowsApps\MicrosoftEdge.exe'
    - Image:
          - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\msedge.exe'
          - 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Edge\Application\msedge.exe'
filter_optional_edge_2:
    Image|startswith:
        - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\EdgeCore\'
        - 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft\EdgeCore\'
    Image|endswith:
        - '\msedge.exe'
        - '\msedgewebview2.exe'
filter_optional_opera:
    Image|endswith: '\opera.exe'
filter_optional_safari:
    Image|endswith: '\safari.exe'
filter_optional_seamonkey:
    Image|endswith: '\seamonkey.exe'
filter_optional_vivaldi:
    Image|endswith: '\vivaldi.exe'
filter_optional_whale:
    Image|endswith: '\whale.exe'
condition: selection and not 1 of filter_optional_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Legitimate usage of IP lookup services such as ipify API

Tags

• attack.reconnaissance
• attack.t1590

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1590

References

• https://www.binarydefense.com/analysis-of-hancitor-when-boring-begets-beacon
• https://twitter.com/neonprimetime/status/1436376497980428318
• https://www.trendmicro.com/en_us/research/23/e/managed-xdr-investigation-of-ducktail-in-trend-micro-vision-one.html

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/dns_query/dns_query_win_susp_external_ip_lookup.yml