Splunk Search

How do I search for the = character?

castle1126
Communicator
    In many of our web proxy logs we see the equal sign (=) included in many URLs.  I'm searching for certain patterns that include the equal sign - for instance, abc=321%f=1.

    I've tried searches like:
    index=proxy uri=*abc\=321\%f\=1
    index=proxy "uri=*abc\=321\%f\=1"
    index=proxy | regex _raw=.*abc\=321\%f\=1.*

    all come back without any results.  I know the IP address of a client and server that has this pattern in it's URI.  So when I run the search against those IPs I get the event that shows the URI I'm looking for.

    Is there a special way to format searches to look for the equal sign?

    Thanks
Tags (1)

dwaddle
SplunkTrust
SplunkTrust

In dire circumstances, I have restored to the very ugly:

my_search | where match(_raw,"=")

This is obviously not very efficient, but has always worked for me.

0 Karma

castle1126
Communicator

I just tried this too. No luck, nothing returned.

0 Karma

bwooden
Splunk Employee
Splunk Employee

You were pretty close with a few. Instead of quoting the field and the value, just quote the value. Like this:

index=proxy uri="*abc=321*"

edit:
The percent sign is included in the search from this query on my Splunk instance...
dest_url="ord=810167203?%5C%22"

0 Karma

bwooden
Splunk Employee
Splunk Employee

I'll have to edit my answer as the comment formatting keeps manipulating my reply...

0 Karma

castle1126
Communicator

I've tried that, but my issue is the pattern also includes the percent sign. When I try index=proxy uri="abc=321%f=1" I get no results. Thoughts?

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!

Why Splunk Customers Should Attend Cisco Live 2026 Las Vegas

Why Splunk Customers Should Attend Cisco Live 2026 Las Vegas     Cisco Live 2026 is almost here, and this ...

What Is the Name of the USB Key Inserted by Bob Smith? (BOTS Hint, Not the Answer)

Hello Splunkers,   So you searched, “what is the name of the usb key inserted by bob smith?”  Not gonna lie… ...

Automating Threat Operations and Threat Hunting with Recorded Future

    Automating Threat Operations and Threat Hunting with Recorded Future June 29, 2026 | Register   Is your ...