Brand impersonation: Microsoft with low reputation links

Detects low reputation links with Microsoft specific indicators in the body.

Sublime rule (View on GitHub)

  1name: "Brand impersonation: Microsoft with low reputation links"
  2description: "Detects low reputation links with Microsoft specific indicators in the body."
  3type: "rule"
  4severity: "medium"
  5source: |
  6 type.inbound
  7 and 0 < length(body.links) < 100
  8 // suspicious link 
  9 and any(body.links,
 10         (
 11           .href_url.domain.root_domain not in $tranco_1m
 12           or .href_url.domain.domain in $free_file_hosts
 13           or .href_url.domain.root_domain in $free_file_hosts
 14           or .href_url.domain.root_domain in $free_subdomain_hosts
 15           or .href_url.domain.domain in $url_shorteners
 16           or 
 17 
 18           // mass mailer link, masks the actual URL
 19           .href_url.domain.root_domain in (
 20             "hubspotlinks.com",
 21             "mandrillapp.com",
 22             "sendgrid.net",
 23             "rs6.net"
 24           )
 25 
 26           // Google AMP redirect
 27           or (
 28             .href_url.domain.sld == "google"
 29             and strings.starts_with(.href_url.path, "/amp/")
 30           )
 31 
 32          // Recipient email address in link
 33          or any(body.links,
 34                 any(recipients.to,
 35                     strings.icontains(..href_url.url, .email.email)
 36                     and any(recipients.to, .email.domain.valid)
 37                 )
 38          )
 39          or .href_url.domain.root_domain == "beehiiv.com"
 40         )
 41 
 42         // exclude sources of potential FPs
 43         and (
 44           .href_url.domain.root_domain not in (
 45             "svc.ms",
 46             "sharepoint.com",
 47             "1drv.ms",
 48             "microsoft.com",
 49             "aka.ms",
 50             "msftauthimages.net",
 51             "mimecastprotect.com",
 52             "office.com",
 53             "microsoftproject.com"
 54           )
 55           or any(body.links, .href_url.domain.domain in $free_file_hosts)
 56         )
 57         and .href_url.domain.root_domain not in $org_domains
 58         and .href_url.domain.valid
 59 )
 60 
 61 // not a reply
 62 and (
 63     length(headers.references) == 0
 64     or not any(headers.hops, any(.fields, strings.ilike(.name, "In-Reply-To")))
 65 )
 66 
 67 // Microsoft logo
 68 and (
 69   any(attachments,
 70       .file_type in $file_types_images
 71       and any(ml.logo_detect(.).brands, strings.starts_with(.name, "Microsoft"))
 72   )
 73   or strings.istarts_with(body.current_thread.text, "Microsoft ")
 74   or any(ml.logo_detect(beta.message_screenshot()).brands,
 75          strings.starts_with(.name, "Microsoft")
 76   )
 77   or (
 78     regex.icontains(body.html.raw,
 79                     '<table[^>]*>\s*<tbody[^>]*>\s*<tr[^>]*>\s*(<td[^>]*bgcolor="#[0-9A-Fa-f]{6}"[^>]*>\s*&nbsp;\s*</td>\s*){2}\s*</tr>\s*<tr[^>]*>\s*(<td[^>]*bgcolor="#[0-9A-Fa-f]{6}"[^>]*>\s*&nbsp;\s*</td>\s*){2}'
 80     )
 81     or regex.icontains(body.html.raw,
 82                        '<td style="background:\s*rgb\(246,\s*93,\s*53\);\s*height:\d+px;">.*?<td style="background:\s*rgb\(129,\s*187,\s*5\);\s*height:\d+px;">.*?<td style="background:\s*rgb\(4,\s*165,\s*240\);\s*height:\d+px;">.*?<td style="background:\s*rgb\(255,\s*186,\s*7\);\s*height:\d+px;">'
 83     )
 84     or 4 of (
 85       regex.icontains(body.html.raw,
 86                       '<td style="width:.\d.px;.height:.\d.px;.background-color:.rgb\(245, 189, 67\);">.{0,10}</td>'
 87       ),
 88       regex.icontains(body.html.raw,
 89                       '<td style="width:.\d.px;.height:.\d.px;.background-color:.rgb\(137, 184, 57\);">.{0,10}</td>'
 90       ),
 91       regex.icontains(body.html.raw,
 92                       '<td style="width:.\d.px;.height:.\d.px;.background-color:.rgb\(217, 83, 51\);">.{0,10}</td>'
 93       ),
 94       regex.icontains(body.html.raw,
 95                       '<td style="width:.\d.px;.height:.\d.px;.background-color:.rgb\(71, 160, 218\);">.{0,10}</td>'
 96       )
 97     )
 98   )
 99   or regex.icontains(body.html.raw,
100                      '<table[^>]*>\s*<tbody[^>]*>\s*<tr[^>]*>\s*(<td[^>]*bgcolor="#[0-9A-Fa-f]{6}"[^>]*>\s*&nbsp;\s*</td>\s*){2}\s*</tr>\s*<tr[^>]*>\s*(<td[^>]*bgcolor="#[0-9A-Fa-f]{6}"[^>]*>\s*&nbsp;\s*</td>\s*){2}'
101   )
102   or 3 of (
103     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, '.password-expiration'),
104     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, 'color: #2672ec;'),
105     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, 'M­ic­ro­so­ft')
106   )
107   or 4 of (
108     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, 'rgb\(246,\s?93,\s?53\)'),
109     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, 'rgb\(129,\s?187,\s?5\)'),
110     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, 'rgb\(4,\s?165,\s?240\)'),
111     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, 'rgb\(255,\s?186,\s?7\)'),
112   )
113   or 4 of (
114     regex.icontains(body.html.raw,
115                     '(background-color:|background:|bgcolor=)(.)red'
116     ),
117     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, 'rgb\(19,\s?186,\s?132\)'),
118     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, 'rgb\(4,\s?166,\s?240\)'),
119     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, 'rgb\(255,\s?186,\s?8\)'),
120   )
121   or 4 of (
122     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, 'rgb\(245,\s?189,\s?67\)'),
123     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, 'rgb\(137,\s?184,\s?57\)'),
124     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, 'rgb\(217,\s?83,\s?51\)'),
125     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, 'rgb\(71,\s?160,\s?218\)')
126   )
127   or 4 of (
128     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, 'rgb\(73,\s?161,\s?232\)'),
129     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, 'rgb\(224,\s?92,\s?53\)'),
130     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, 'rgb\(139,\s?183,\s?55\)'),
131     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, 'rgb\(244,\s?188,\s?65\)')
132   )
133   or 4 of (
134     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, 'rgb\(213,\s?56,\s?62\)'),
135     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, 'rgb\(0,\s?114,\s?30\)'),
136     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, 'rgb\(0,\s?110,\s?173\)'),
137     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, 'rgb\(227,\s?209,\s?43\)'),
138   )
139   or 4 of (
140     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, 'rgb\(246,\s?93,\s?53\)'),
141     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, 'rgb\(129,\s?187,\s?5\)'),
142     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, 'rgb\(4,\s?165,\s?240\)'),
143     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, 'rgb\(255,\s?186,\s?7\)')
144   )
145   or 4 of (
146     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, 'rgb\(242,\s?80,\s?34\)'),
147     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, 'rgb\(127,\s?186,\s?0\)'),
148     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, 'rgb\(0,\s?164,\s?239\)'),
149     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, 'rgb\(255,\s?185,\s?0\)'),
150   )
151   or 4 of (
152     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, 'rgb\(243,\s?83,\s?37\)'),
153     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, 'rgb\(129,\s?188,\s?6\)'),
154     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, 'rgb\(5,\s?166,\s?240\)'),
155     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, 'rgb\(255,\s?186,\s?8\)')
156   )
157   or 4 of (
158     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, 'rgb\(243,\s?80,\s?34\)'),
159     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, 'rgb\(128,\s?187,\s?3\)'),
160     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, 'rgb\(3,\s?165,\s?240\)'),
161     regex.icontains(body.html.raw, 'rgb\(255,\s?185,\s?3\)')
162   )
163   or 4 of (
164     regex.icontains(body.html.raw,
165                     '(background-color:|background:|bgcolor=)(.)?(#)?(FF1940|eb5024|F25022|FF1941|red)'
166     ),
167     regex.icontains(body.html.raw,
168                     '(background-color:|background:|bgcolor=)(.)?(#)?(36ba57|3eb55d|7db606|7FBA00|36ba58|green)'
169     ),
170     regex.icontains(body.html.raw,
171                     '(background-color:|background:|bgcolor=)(.)?#(04a1d6|04B5F0|05a1e8|00A4EF|01a4ef|04a5f0)'
172     ),
173     regex.icontains(body.html.raw,
174                     '(background-color:|background:|bgcolor=)(.)?#(FFCA07|f7b408|FFB900|FFCA08|ffb901|ffba07)'
175     ),
176   )
177   or 4 of (
178     regex.icontains(body.html.raw,
179                     '(background-color:|background:|bgcolor=)(.)?#(f65314|f65d35|49a1e8|E74F23|F35325)'
180     ),
181     regex.icontains(body.html.raw,
182                     '(background-color:|background:|bgcolor=)(.)?#(7cbf42|81bb05|e05c35|7AB206|81BC06)'
183     ),
184     regex.icontains(body.html.raw,
185                     '(background-color:|background:|bgcolor=)(.)?#(00a4ef|0078d7|8bb737|04a5f0|059EE4|05A6F0)'
186     ),
187     regex.icontains(body.html.raw,
188                     '(background-color:|background:|bgcolor=)(.)?#(ffb900|ffba07|f4bc41|F2B108|FFBA08)'
189     ),
190   )
191   // fuzzy approach
192   or 4 of (
193     regex.icontains(body.html.raw,
194                     'rgb\((2[1-4][0-9]|250),\s?(7[0-9]|8[0-9]|9[0-3]),\s?(3[0-9]|4[0-9]|5[0-3])\)'
195     ),
196     regex.icontains(body.html.raw,
197                     'rgb\((12[0-9]|13[0-9]),\s?(18[0-9]|190),\s?([0-9]|10)\)'
198     ),
199     regex.icontains(body.html.raw,
200                     'rgb\(([0-9]|1[0-5]),\s?(16[0-5]|166),\s?(23[0-9]|240)\)'
201     ),
202     regex.icontains(body.html.raw,
203                     'rgb\((25[0-5]),\s?(18[5-9]|19[0-9]),\s?([0-9]|10)\)'
204     )
205   )
206 )
207 
208 // suspicious content
209 and (
210   // current thread is empty, but an image attachment is branded as microsoft.
211   // common in image as content
212   (
213     body.current_thread.text == ""
214     and any(attachments,
215             .file_type in $file_types_images
216             and any(ml.logo_detect(.).brands,
217                     strings.starts_with(.name, "Microsoft")
218             )
219     )
220   )
221   or (
222     strings.ilike(body.plain.raw,
223                   "*password*",
224                   "*document*",
225                   "*voicemail*",
226                   "*cache*",
227                   "*fax*",
228                   "*storage*",
229                   "*quota*",
230                   "*message*"
231     )
232     and strings.ilike(body.plain.raw,
233                       "*terminated*",
234                       "*review*",
235                       "*expire*",
236                       "*click*",
237                       "*view*",
238                       "*exceed*",
239                       "*clear*",
240                       "*only works*",
241                       "*failed*",
242                       "*deleted*",
243                       "*revalidated*",
244                       "*renewal*"
245     )
246   )
247  
248   or (
249     any(attachments,
250         .file_type in $file_types_images
251         and any(file.explode(.),
252                 strings.ilike(.scan.ocr.raw,
253                               "*password*",
254                               "*document*",
255                               "*voicemail*",
256                               "*cache*",
257                               "*fax*",
258                               "*storage*",
259                               "*quota*",
260                               "*messages*"
261                 )
262                 and strings.ilike(.scan.ocr.raw,
263                                   "*terminated*",
264                                   "*review*",
265                                   "*expire*",
266                                   "*click*",
267                                   "*view*",
268                                   "*exceed*",
269                                   "*clear*",
270                                   "*only works*",
271                                   "*failed*",
272                                   "*deleted*"
273                 )
274         )
275     )
276   )
277   or (
278     any(file.explode(beta.message_screenshot()),
279         strings.ilike(.scan.ocr.raw,
280                       "*password*",
281                       "*document*",
282                       "*voicemail*",
283                       "*cache*",
284                       "*fax*",
285                       "*storage*",
286                       "*quota*",
287                       "*messages*"
288         )
289         and strings.ilike(.scan.ocr.raw,
290                           "*terminated*",
291                           "*review*",
292                           "*expire*",
293                           "*click*",
294                           "*view*",
295                           "*exceed*",
296                           "*clear*",
297                           "*only works*",
298                           "*failed*",
299                           "*deleted*",
300                           "*revalidated*",
301                           "*renewal*"
302         )
303     )
304   )
305   or (
306     any(ml.nlu_classifier(body.current_thread.text).intents,
307         .name == "cred_theft" and .confidence in~ ("medium", "high")
308     )
309     or any(attachments,
310            .file_type in $file_types_images
311            and any(file.explode(.),
312                    any(ml.nlu_classifier(.scan.ocr.raw).intents,
313                        .name == "cred_theft"
314                        and .confidence in ("medium", "high")
315                    )
316            )
317     )
318   )
319 )
320 and sender.email.domain.root_domain not in (
321   "bing.com",
322   "microsoft.com",
323   "microsoftonline.com",
324   "microsoftproject.com",
325   "microsoftstoreemail.com",
326   "microsoftsupport.com",
327   "microsoft365.com",
328   "office.com",
329   "office365.com",
330   "onedrive.com",
331   "sharepointonline.com",
332   "yammer.com",
333 )
334
335 // negate legitimate Office 365 bouncebacks
336 and not (
337     length(attachments) > 0
338     and all(attachments,
339         .content_type in ("message/delivery-status", "message/rfc822")
340     )
341     and (sender.email.local_part in ('postmaster', 'mailer-daemon'))
342 )
343
344 // negate Microsoft "welcome to the X group" notifications
345 and not (
346   headers.auth_summary.dmarc.pass
347   and length(attachments) == 6
348   and length(filter(attachments,
349                     strings.istarts_with(.file_name, "GuestWelcomeEmail")
350              )
351   ) == 5
352   and length(filter(body.links,
353                     (
354                       .href_url.domain.domain not in (
355                         "outlook.office365.com",
356                         "aka.ms",
357                         "go.microsoft.com"
358                       )
359                     )
360                     and not .href_url.domain.domain == sender.email.domain.domain
361              )
362   ) == 0
363   and subject.subject == strings.replace_confusables(subject.subject)
364 )
365 
366 // negate highly trusted sender domains unless they fail DMARC authentication
367 and (
368   (
369     sender.email.domain.root_domain in $high_trust_sender_root_domains
370     and not headers.auth_summary.dmarc.pass
371   )
372   or sender.email.domain.root_domain not in $high_trust_sender_root_domains
373 )
374 and (
375   not profile.by_sender().solicited
376   or (
377     profile.by_sender().any_messages_malicious_or_spam
378     and not profile.by_sender().any_false_positives
379   )
380 )
381 and not profile.by_sender().any_false_positives
382 
383 // exclude marketing jargon from ms partners
384 and not regex.icontains(body.current_thread.text,
385                         '(schedul(e|ing)|set up).{0,20}(call|meeting|demo|zoom|conversation|time|tool|discussion)|book.{0,10}(meeting|demo|call|slot|time)|connect.{0,12}(with me|phone|email)|my.{0,10}(calendar|cal)|reserve.{0,10}s[pl]ot|break the ice|want to know more?|miss your chance|if you no longer wish|if you no longer want|if you wish to opt out|low-code (development|approach|solution|journey|platform)|(?:invite|virtual).{0,30}(webinar|presentation)'
386 )  
387attack_types:
388  - "Credential Phishing"
389tactics_and_techniques:
390  - "Free file host"
391  - "Image as content"
392  - "Impersonation: Brand"
393  - "Social engineering"
394detection_methods:
395  - "Computer Vision"
396  - "Content analysis"
397  - "File analysis"
398  - "Header analysis"
399  - "Natural Language Understanding"
400  - "Optical Character Recognition"
401  - "Sender analysis"
402  - "URL analysis"
403id: "b59201b6-f253-55a6-9c0a-e1500a32a751"
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