Splunk Search

DGA Regex in Splunk

masfar
Engager

I am trying to search through logs for unusual domains generated by DGAs. I want to use regex to search for domain names with 7-12 characters ending with TLD. The characters are alphanumeric.
For example, abc1djdfkf.xyz

I have used the following regex patterns, but did not see the desired results.

rex field=URL "(?\w{7,12}.(XYZ))$"

Tags (2)
0 Karma

martin_mueller
SplunkTrust
SplunkTrust

So... you're looking for seven to twelve alphanumeric characters where at least one is a digit and at least one is a letter?
I'll be lazy and cheat:

| rex field=URL "(?<url_dga>(?=\w*\d)(?=\w*[a-zA-Z])\w{7,12}\.xyz)"
| regex URL="(?=\w*\d)(?=\w*[a-zA-Z])\w{7,12}\.xyz"

Note 1: I've added regex, in case you're trying to filter and not extract a field.
Note 2: djdhdjahdja.xyz is technically alphanumeric 😛
Note 3: To add more laziness, take a look at https://splunkbase.splunk.com/app/3435 - one of its examples targets algorithmically generated domains.

0 Karma

martin_mueller
SplunkTrust
SplunkTrust

I've added back the rex command to extract fields rather than searching by regex.

0 Karma

martin_mueller
SplunkTrust
SplunkTrust

Well, it does match the example you gave that should match, and doesn't match the example you gave that shouldn't match.

Are you trying to extract a new field |rex or filter results |regex?

0 Karma

masfar
Engager

Martin- I am looking to extract the field.

0 Karma

masfar
Engager

Martin- Thanks, but the query you mentioned is not providing the desired results. For example, the results include abc.zybdkdke12.xyz , www.dahdha2ddalk.xyz, when I am only interested in the main domain itself (zybdkdke12.xyz and dahdha2ddalk.xyz).

0 Karma

somesoni2
Revered Legend

Try this

...| rex field=URL "(?<domain>\w{7,12}\.xyz)"

masfar
Engager

somesoni2- The DGA I am observing generates domains in alphanumeric characters, so in my regex I want to be able to search for domains that contain ONLY alphanumeric values. For example, I want to get a hit on ababdbdb233.xyz and not on djdhdjahdja.xyz.

0 Karma
Got questions? Get answers!

Join the Splunk Community Slack to learn, troubleshoot, and make connections with fellow Splunk practitioners in real time!

Meet up IRL or virtually!

Join Splunk User Groups to connect and learn in-person by region or remotely by topic or industry.

Get Updates on the Splunk Community!

Step into “Hunt the Insider: An Splunk ES Premier Mystery” to catch a cybercriminal ...

After a whole week of being on call, you fell asleep on your keyboard, and you hit a sequence of buttons that ...

SplunkTrust Application Period is Officially OPEN!

It's that time, folks! The application/nomination period for the 2026-2027 SplunkTrust is officially open. If ...

Announcing Modern Navigation: A New Era of Splunk User Experience

We are excited to introduce the Modern Navigation feature in the Splunk Platform, available to both cloud and ...