Paloalto Networks XDR-Analyst - Palo Alto Networks XDR Analyst

 A common sequence of cyber-attack tactics is based on the Cyber Kill Chain model, which describes the stages of a cyber intrusion from the perspective of the attacker. The Cyber Kill Chain model consists of seven phases: reconnaissance, weaponization, delivery, exploitation, installation, command and control, and actions on the objective. These phases are briefly explained below:

Reconnaissance: The attacker gathers information about the target, such as its network, systems, vulnerabilities, employees, and business operations. The attacker may use various methods, such as scanning, phishing, or searching open sources, to collect data that can help them plan the attack.

Weaponization: The attacker creates or obtains a malicious payload, such as malware, exploit, or script, that can be used to compromise the target. The attacker may also embed the payload into a delivery mechanism, such as an email attachment, a web link, or a removable media.

Delivery: The attacker sends or delivers the weaponized payload to the target, either directly or indirectly. The attacker may use various channels, such as email, web, or physical access, to reach the target’s network or system.

Exploitation: The attacker exploits a vulnerability or weakness in the target’s network or system to execute the payload. The vulnerability may be technical, such as a software flaw, or human, such as a social engineering trick.

Installation: The attacker installs or drops additional malware or tools on the target’s network or system to establish a foothold and maintain persistence. The attacker may use various techniques, such as registry modification, file manipulation, or process injection, to hide their presence and evade detection.

Command and Control: The attacker establishes a communication channel between the compromised target and a remote server or controller. The attacker may use various protocols, such as HTTP, DNS, or IRC, to send commands and receive data from the target.

Actions on the objective: The attacker performs the final actions that achieve their goal, such as stealing data, destroying files, encrypting systems, or disrupting services. The attacker may also try to move laterally within the target’s network or system to access more resources or data.

 To manually upgrade the Cortex XDR agents, you can use the Asset Management page or the Endpoint Administration page in the Cortex XDR console. On the Asset Management page, you can select one or more endpoints and click Actions > Upgrade Agent. On the Endpoint Administration page, you can select one or more agent versions and click Upgrade. You can also schedule automatic agent upgrades using the Agent Installations page. References:

Asset Management

Endpoint Administration

Agent Installations

 The minimum Cortex XDR agent version required for Kubernetes Cluster is Cortex XDR 7.5. This version introduces the Cortex XDR agent for Kubernetes hosts, which provides protection and visibility for Linux hosts that run on Kubernetes clusters. The Cortex XDR agent for Kubernetes hosts supports the following features:

Anti-malware protection

Behavioral threat protection

Exploit protection

File integrity monitoring

Network security

Audit and remediation

Live terminal

To install the Cortex XDR agent for Kubernetes hosts, you need to deploy the Cortex XDR agent as a DaemonSet on your Kubernetes cluster. You also need to configure the agent settings profile and the agent installer in the Cortex XDR management console. References:

Cortex XDR Agent Release Notes: This document provides the release notes for Cortex XDR agent versions, including the new features, enhancements, and resolved issues.

Install the Cortex XDR Agent for Kubernetes Hosts: This document explains how to install and configure the Cortex XDR agent for Kubernetes hosts using the Cortex XDR management console and the Kubernetes command-line tool.

 The ultimate goal of any exploit is to reach the kernel, which is the core component of the operating system that has the highest level of privileges and access to the hardware resources. Application exploits are attacks that target vulnerabilities in specific applications, such as web browsers, email clients, or office suites. Kernel exploits are attacks that target vulnerabilities in the kernel itself, such as memory corruption, privilege escalation, or code execution. Kernel exploits are more difficult to prevent and detect than application exploits, because they can bypass security mechanisms and hide their presence from the user and the system. References:

Palo Alto Networks Certified Detection and Remediation Analyst (PCDRA) Study Guide, page 8

Palo Alto Networks Cortex XDR Documentation, Exploit Protection Overview

 The policy exception that applies to the following description is B, local file threat examination exception. A local file threat examination exception is an exception that allows you to exclude specific files or folders from being scanned by the Cortex XDR agent for malware or threats. You can use this exception to prevent false positives, performance issues, or compatibility problems with legitimate files or applications. You can define the local file threat examination exception by file name, file path, file hash, or digital signer. For example, you can create a local file threat examination exception for specific PHP files by entering their file names or paths in the exception configuration. References:

Local File Threat Examination Exceptions

Create a Local File Threat Examination Exception

The Wildfire analysis file size limit for Windows PE files is 100MB. Windows PE files are executable files that run on the Windows operating system, such as .exe, .dll, .sys, or .scr files. Wildfire is a cloud-based service that analyzes files and URLs for malicious behavior and generates signatures and protections for them. Wildfire can analyze various file types, such as PE, APK, PDF, MS Office, and others, but each file type has a different file size limit. The file size limit determines the maximum size of the file that can be uploaded or forwarded to Wildfire for analysis. If the file size exceeds the limit, Wildfire will not analyze the file and will return an error message.

According to the Wildfire documentation1, the file size limit for Windows PE files is 100MB. This means that any PE file that is larger than 100MB will not be analyzed by Wildfire. However, the firewall can still apply other security features, such as antivirus, anti-spyware, vulnerability protection, and file blocking, to the PE file based on the security policy settings. The firewall can also perform local analysis on the PE file using the Cortex XDR agent, which uses machine learning models to assess the file and assign it a verdict2.

 File Search and Destroy is a feature of Cortex XDR that allows you to search for and remove malicious files from endpoints. You can use this feature to find files by their hash, full path, or partial path using regex parameters. You can then select the files from the search results and destroy them by hash or by path. When you destroy a file by hash, all the file instances on the endpoint are removed. File Search and Destroy is useful for quickly responding to threats and preventing further damage. References:

Search and Destroy Malicious Files

Cortex XDR Pro Administrator Guide

JIT Mitigation is an Exploit Protection Module (EPM) that can be used to prevent attacks based on OS function. JIT Mitigation protects against exploits that use the Just-In-Time (JIT) compiler of the OS to execute malicious code. JIT Mitigation monitors the memory pages that are allocated by the JIT compiler and blocks any attempts to execute code from those pages. This prevents attackers from using the JIT compiler as a way to bypass other security mechanisms such as Data Execution Prevention (DEP) and Address Space Layout Randomization (ASLR). References:

Palo Alto Networks. (2023). PCDRA Study Guide. PDF file. Retrieved from https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/content/dam/pan/en_US/assets/pdf/datasheets/education/pcdra-study-guide.pdf

Palo Alto Networks. (2021). Exploit Protection Modules. Web page. Retrieved from https://docs.paloaltonetworks.com/traps/6-0/traps-endpoint-security-manager-admin/traps-endpoint-security-policies/exploit-protection-modules.html

 Cortex XDR agent for Windows prevents ransomware attacks from compromising the file system by utilizing decoy files. Decoy files are randomly generated files that are placed in strategic locations on the endpoint, such as the user’s desktop, documents, and pictures folders. These files are designed to look like valuable data that ransomware would target for encryption. When Cortex XDR agent detects that a process is attempting to access or modify a decoy file, it immediately blocks the process and alerts the administrator. This way, Cortex XDR agent can stop ransomware attacks before they can cause any damage to the real files on the endpoint. References:

Anti-Ransomware Protection

PCDRA Study Guide

 Local Analysis is a feature of Cortex XDR that allows the agent to evaluate files locally on the endpoint, without sending them to WildFire for analysis. Local Analysis is evoked when the following conditions are met:

The endpoint is disconnected from the internet or the Cortex XDR management console, and therefore cannot communicate with WildFire.

The verdict from WildFire is of a type unknown, meaning that WildFire has not yet analyzed the file or has not reached a conclusive verdict.

Local Analysis uses machine learning models to assess the behavior and characteristics of the file and assign it a verdict of either benign, malware, or grayware. If the verdict is malware or grayware, the agent will block the file from running and report it to the Cortex XDR management console. If the verdict is benign, the agent will allow the file to run and report it to the Cortex XDR management console. References:

Local Analysis

WildFire File Verdicts