File Metadata — Detection Telemetry

Collection and providers

Collect scoped file inventory/FIM metadata with hash algorithm and observation time; preserve original timestamps separately from collector time.

• osquery: Scheduled host-state queries; supported tables and privileges vary by OS. Select a table that actually exposes the required object.
• Linux Audit plus inventory snapshots: Events explain changes; snapshots describe state at collection time.

Configuration

• Define the inventory query, allowed host set, interval and least-privileged reader. Store a stable asset ID, observation time and collector version.
• Keep successive snapshots and calculate additions, removals and changed attributes. Pair state changes with audit events when available.
• Export collector health and missed-poll counts so a missing snapshot is not misclassified as a missing asset.

Synthetic event example

Project-normalized synthetic JSON, not a native provider log, captured event, attack verdict or validated detection. A parser/adapter is required for a real SIEM. Example names, IPs and values are fictional.

{
  "schema": "1200km.telemetry.example.v1",
  "synthetic": true,
  "timestamp": "2026-09-27T12:00:00Z",
  "telemetry_id": "DC0059",
  "collector": "illustrative-lab-collector",
  "observation": {
    "path": "/opt/lab/demo.txt",
    "size_bytes": 64,
    "sha256": "aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa",
    "owner_uid": 1000
  }
}

Visibility and validation

Snapshots miss short-lived objects and do not identify who caused a change. A generic inventory agent is not guaranteed to expose firmware or kernel-level details.

• Record the lab scope, collector version, effective configuration and expected source fields before testing.
• Use an approved benign action or read-only snapshot appropriate to this type. For destructive, privileged or physical effects, use a reviewed fixture or existing authorized evidence instead of causing the effect.
• Verify the native source record locally and at the collector; compare timestamps, identity, object, action/result and the type-specific fields listed below. Save a redacted real capture separately from the synthetic example.
• Check a normal baseline and collector-loss case. Fixture parsing proves parser behavior only; it does not prove sensor coverage or malicious-behavior detection.

Primary sources

• osquery scheduled configuration
• Linux Audit rule configuration