Telegram Bot API Request — Sigma Rule

Rule metadata and linked tags

Author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems). Source status: test; severity: medium. Source dates: 2018-06-05 / 2022-10-09.

{
  "category": "dns"
}

Pinned original Sigma rule · Detection Rule License 1.1

Source SHA-256: eb0887d2838797ae7e1d628ad679a7bb9d010ae87775083e580617f626f91a6e

Detection logic

Original source YAML. Source-tag agreement is not proof of complete semantic coverage. This rule has not been compiled for a SIEM backend or validated against live telemetry here.

title: Telegram Bot API Request
id: c64c5175-5189-431b-a55e-6d9882158251
status: test
description: Detects suspicious DNS queries to api.telegram.org used by Telegram Bots of any kind
references:
    - https://core.telegram.org/bots/faq
    - https://researchcenter.paloaltonetworks.com/2018/03/unit42-telerat-another-android-trojan-leveraging-telegrams-bot-api-to-target-iranian-users/
    - https://blog.malwarebytes.com/threat-analysis/2016/11/telecrypt-the-ransomware-abusing-telegram-api-defeated/
    - https://www.welivesecurity.com/2016/12/13/rise-telebots-analyzing-disruptive-killdisk-attacks/
author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems)
date: 2018-06-05
modified: 2022-10-09
tags:
    - attack.command-and-control
    - attack.t1102.002
logsource:
    category: dns
detection:
    selection:
        query: 'api.telegram.org'   # Telegram Bot API Request https://core.telegram.org/bots/faq
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Legitimate use of Telegram bots in the company
level: medium

Original YAML and metadata in JSON

False positives

• Legitimate use of Telegram bots in the company

Source references

• https://core.telegram.org/bots/faq
• https://researchcenter.paloaltonetworks.com/2018/03/unit42-telerat-another-android-trojan-leveraging-telegrams-bot-api-to-target-iranian-users/
• https://blog.malwarebytes.com/threat-analysis/2016/11/telecrypt-the-ransomware-abusing-telegram-api-defeated/
• https://www.welivesecurity.com/2016/12/13/rise-telebots-analyzing-disruptive-killdisk-attacks/