Office Application Initiated Network Connection To Non-Local IP

Detects an office application (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) that initiate a network connection to a non-private IP addresses. This rule aims to detect traffic similar to one seen exploited in CVE-2021-42292. This rule will require an initial baseline and tuning that is specific to your organization.

Sigma rule (View on GitHub)

  1title: Office Application Initiated Network Connection To Non-Local IP
  2id: 75e33ce3-ae32-4dcc-9aa8-a2a3029d6f84
  3status: test
  4description: |
  5    Detects an office application (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)  that initiate a network connection to a non-private IP addresses.
  6    This rule aims to detect traffic similar to one seen exploited in CVE-2021-42292.
  7    This rule will require an initial baseline and tuning that is specific to your organization.    
  8references:
  9    - https://corelight.com/blog/detecting-cve-2021-42292
 10    - https://learn.microsoft.com/de-de/microsoft-365/enterprise/urls-and-ip-address-ranges?view=o365-worldwide
 11author: Christopher Peacock '@securepeacock', SCYTHE '@scythe_io', Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Tim Shelton, Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
 12date: 2021-11-10
 13modified: 2025-10-17
 14tags:
 15    - attack.execution
 16    - attack.t1203
 17logsource:
 18    category: network_connection
 19    product: windows
 20detection:
 21    selection:
 22        Image|endswith:
 23            - '\excel.exe'
 24            - '\outlook.exe'
 25            - '\powerpnt.exe'
 26            - '\winword.exe'
 27            - '\wordview.exe'
 28        Initiated: 'true'
 29    filter_main_local_ranges:
 30        DestinationIp|cidr:
 31            - '127.0.0.0/8'
 32            - '10.0.0.0/8'
 33            - '172.16.0.0/12'
 34            - '192.168.0.0/16'
 35            - '169.254.0.0/16'
 36            - '::1/128'  # IPv6 loopback
 37            - 'fe80::/10'  # IPv6 link-local addresses
 38            - 'fc00::/7'  # IPv6 private addresses
 39    filter_main_msrange_generic:
 40        DestinationIp|cidr:
 41            - '2.16.56.0/23' # Akamai International B.V.
 42            - '2.17.248.0/21' # Akamai International B.V.
 43            - '13.107.240.0/21' # Microsoft Corporation
 44            - '20.184.0.0/13' # Microsoft Corporation
 45            - '23.61.224.0/20' # Akamai-AS
 46            - '20.192.0.0/10' # Microsoft Corporation
 47            - '23.72.0.0/13' # Akamai International B.V.
 48            - '23.3.88.0/22' # Akamai-AS
 49            - '23.216.132.0/22' # Akamai-AS
 50            - '40.76.0.0/14' # Microsoft Corporation
 51            - '51.10.0.0/15' # Microsoft Corporation
 52            - '51.103.0.0/16' # Microsoft Corporation
 53            - '51.104.0.0/15' # Microsoft Corporation
 54            - '51.142.136.0/22' # Microsoft Corporation - https://ipinfo.io/AS8075/51.140.0.0/14-51.142.136.0/22
 55            - '52.160.0.0/11' # Microsoft Corporation - https://ipinfo.io/AS8075/52.160.0.0/11
 56            - '95.101.96.0/21' # Akamai-As
 57            - '204.79.197.0/24' # Microsoft Corporation
 58    filter_main_msrange_exchange_1:
 59        # Exchange Online
 60        # "urls": [
 61        #       "outlook.cloud.microsoft",
 62        #       "outlook.office.com",
 63        #       "outlook.office365.com"
 64        # ]
 65        DestinationIp|cidr:
 66            - '13.107.4.0/22'
 67            - '13.107.6.152/31'
 68            - '13.107.18.10/31'
 69            - '13.107.42.0/23'
 70            - '13.107.128.0/22'
 71            - '23.35.224.0/20'
 72            - '23.53.40.0/22'
 73            - '23.103.160.0/20'
 74            - '23.216.76.0/22'
 75            - '40.96.0.0/13'
 76            - '40.104.0.0/15'
 77            - '52.96.0.0/14'
 78            - '131.253.33.215/32'
 79            - '132.245.0.0/16'
 80            - '150.171.32.0/22'
 81            - '204.79.197.215/32'
 82            - '2603:1006::/40'
 83            - '2603:1016::/36'
 84            - '2603:1026::/36'
 85            - '2603:1036::/36'
 86            - '2603:1046::/36'
 87            - '2603:1056::/36'
 88            - '2620:1ec:4::152/128'
 89            - '2620:1ec:4::153/128'
 90            - '2620:1ec:c::10/128'
 91            - '2620:1ec:c::11/128'
 92            - '2620:1ec:d::10/128'
 93            - '2620:1ec:d::11/128'
 94            - '2620:1ec:8f0::/46'
 95            - '2620:1ec:900::/46'
 96            - '2620:1ec:a92::152/128'
 97            - '2620:1ec:a92::153/128'
 98        DestinationPort:
 99            - 80
100            - 443
101    filter_main_msrange_exchange_2:
102        # Exchange Online
103        # "urls": [
104        #       "outlook.office365.com",
105        #       "smtp.office365.com"
106        # ]
107        DestinationIp|cidr:
108            - '13.107.6.152/31'
109            - '13.107.18.10/31'
110            - '13.107.128.0/22'
111            - '23.103.160.0/20'
112            - '40.96.0.0/13'
113            - '40.104.0.0/15'
114            - '52.96.0.0/14'
115            - '131.253.33.215/32'
116            - '132.245.0.0/16'
117            - '150.171.32.0/22'
118            - '204.79.197.215/32'
119            - '2603:1006::/40'
120            - '2603:1016::/36'
121            - '2603:1026::/36'
122            - '2603:1036::/36'
123            - '2603:1046::/36'
124            - '2603:1056::/36'
125            - '2620:1ec:4::152/128'
126            - '2620:1ec:4::153/128'
127            - '2620:1ec:c::10/128'
128            - '2620:1ec:c::11/128'
129            - '2620:1ec:d::10/128'
130            - '2620:1ec:d::11/128'
131            - '2620:1ec:8f0::/46'
132            - '2620:1ec:900::/46'
133            - '2620:1ec:a92::152/128'
134            - '2620:1ec:a92::153/128'
135        DestinationPort:
136            - 143
137            - 587
138            - 993
139            - 995
140        Protocol: 'tcp'
141    filter_main_msrange_exchange_3:
142        # Exchange Online
143        # "urls": [
144        #       "*.protection.outlook.com"
145        #  ]
146        DestinationIp|cidr:
147            - '40.92.0.0/15'
148            - '40.107.0.0/16'
149            - '52.100.0.0/14'
150            - '52.238.78.88/32'
151            - '104.47.0.0/17'
152            - '2a01:111:f400::/48'
153            - '2a01:111:f403::/48'
154        DestinationPort: 443
155    filter_main_msrange_exchange_4:
156        # Exchange Online
157        # "urls": [
158        #       "*.mail.protection.outlook.com",
159        #       "*.mx.microsoft"
160        #  ]
161        DestinationIp|cidr:
162            - '40.92.0.0/15'
163            - '40.107.0.0/16'
164            - '52.100.0.0/14'
165            - '52.238.78.88/32'
166            - '104.47.0.0/17'
167            - '2a01:111:f400::/48'
168            - '2a01:111:f403::/48'
169        DestinationPort: 25
170    filter_main_msrange_sharepoint_1:
171        # SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business",
172        # "urls": [
173        #       "*.sharepoint.com"
174        # ]
175        DestinationIp|cidr:
176            - '13.107.136.0/22'
177            - '40.108.128.0/17'
178            - '52.104.0.0/14'
179            - '104.146.128.0/17'
180            - '150.171.40.0/22'
181            - '2603:1061:1300::/40'
182            - '2620:1ec:8f8::/46'
183            - '2620:1ec:908::/46'
184            - '2a01:111:f402::/48'
185        DestinationPort:
186            - 80
187            - 443
188        Protocol: 'tcp'
189    filter_main_msrange_office_1:
190        # Microsoft 365 Common and Office Online",
191        # "urls": [
192        #       "*.officeapps.live.com",
193        #       "*.online.office.com",
194        #       "office.live.com",
195        #       "office.com.akadns.net"
196        # ],
197        DestinationIp|cidr:
198            - '13.107.6.171/32'
199            - '13.107.18.15/32'
200            - '13.107.140.6/32'
201            - '20.64.0.0/10'
202            - '52.108.0.0/14'
203            - '52.244.37.168/32'
204            - '2603:1006:1400::/40'
205            - '2603:1016:2400::/40'
206            - '2603:1026:2400::/40'
207            - '2603:1036:2400::/40'
208            - '2603:1046:1400::/40'
209            - '2603:1056:1400::/40'
210            - '2603:1063:2000::/38'
211            - '2620:1ec:c::15/128'
212            - '2620:1ec:8fc::6/128'
213            - '2620:1ec:a92::171/128'
214            - '2a01:111:f100:2000::a83e:3019/128'
215            - '2a01:111:f100:2002::8975:2d79/128'
216            - '2a01:111:f100:2002::8975:2da8/128'
217            - '2a01:111:f100:7000::6fdd:6cd5/128'
218            - '2a01:111:f100:a004::bfeb:88cf/128'
219        DestinationPort:
220            - 80
221            - 443
222        Protocol: 'tcp'
223    filter_main_msrange_office_2:
224        # Microsoft 365 Common and Office Online
225        # "urls": [
226        #       "*.auth.microsoft.com",
227        #       "*.msftidentity.com",
228        #       "*.msidentity.com",
229        #       "account.activedirectory.windowsazure.com",
230        #       "accounts.accesscontrol.windows.net",
231        #       "adminwebservice.microsoftonline.com",
232        #       "api.passwordreset.microsoftonline.com",
233        #       "autologon.microsoftazuread-sso.com",
234        #       "becws.microsoftonline.com",
235        #       "ccs.login.microsoftonline.com",
236        #       "clientconfig.microsoftonline-p.net",
237        #       "cloudapp.azure.com",
238        #       "companymanager.microsoftonline.com",
239        #       "device.login.microsoftonline.com",
240        #       "graph.microsoft.com",
241        #       "graph.windows.net",
242        #       "login-us.microsoftonline.com",
243        #       "login.microsoft.com",
244        #       "login.microsoftonline-p.com",
245        #       "login.microsoftonline.com",
246        #       "login.windows.net",
247        #       "logincert.microsoftonline.com",
248        #       "loginex.microsoftonline.com",
249        #       "nexus.microsoftonline-p.com",
250        #       "passwordreset.microsoftonline.com",
251        #       "provisioningapi.microsoftonline.com",
252        #       "web.core.windows.net",
253        # ]
254        DestinationIp|cidr:
255            - '172.128.0.0/10'
256            - '20.20.32.0/19'
257            - '20.103.156.88/32' # msn.com
258            - '20.190.128.0/18'
259            - '20.231.128.0/19'
260            - '40.126.0.0/18'
261            - '57.150.0.0/15'
262            - '2603:1006:2000::/48'
263            - '2603:1007:200::/48'
264            - '2603:1016:1400::/48'
265            - '2603:1017::/48'
266            - '2603:1026:3000::/48'
267            - '2603:1027:1::/48'
268            - '2603:1036:3000::/48'
269            - '2603:1037:1::/48'
270            - '2603:1046:2000::/48'
271            - '2603:1047:1::/48'
272            - '2603:1056:2000::/48'
273            - '2603:1057:2::/48'
274        DestinationPort:
275            - 80
276            - 443
277        Protocol: 'tcp'
278    filter_main_msrange_office_3:
279        # Microsoft 365 Common and Office Online
280        #  "urls": [
281        #       "*.compliance.microsoft.com",
282        #       "*.data.microsoft.com",
283        #       "*.protection.office.com",
284        #       "*.security.microsoft.com",
285        #       "compliance.microsoft.com",
286        #       "defender.microsoft.com",
287        #       "protection.office.com",
288        #       "security.microsoft.com",
289        #       "teams.microsoft.com",
290        #  ]
291        DestinationIp|cidr:
292            - '13.64.0.0/11'
293            - '13.107.6.192/32'
294            - '13.107.9.192/32'
295            - '13.89.179.14/32'
296            - '20.40.0.0/14'
297            - '20.48.0.0/12'
298            - '20.64.0.0/12'
299            - '52.123.0.0/16'
300            - '52.108.0.0/14'
301            - '52.136.0.0/13'
302            - '57.150.0.0/15'
303            - '80.239.150.67/32' # Arelion Sweden AB
304            - '2620:1ec:4::192/128'
305            - '2620:1ec:a92::192/128'
306        DestinationPort: 443
307        Protocol: 'tcp'
308    filter_main_destination_host:
309        DestinationHostname|endswith: '.deploy.static.akamaitechnologies.com'
310        DestinationPort: 443
311        Protocol: 'tcp'
312    condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_*
313falsepositives:
314    - You may have to tune certain domains out that Excel may call out to, such as microsoft or other business use case domains.
315    - Office documents commonly have templates that refer to external addresses, like "sharepoint.ourcompany.com" may have to be tuned.
316    - It is highly recommended to baseline your activity and tune out common business use cases.
317level: medium

References

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