Suspicious DNS queries to api.telegram.org for Telegram Bot API traffic
Flags DNS queries to api.telegram.org that may indicate Telegram Bot API usage by bots or malware.
- Category
- dns
- Author
- Florian Roth (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
- Published
- 2018-06-05
- Updated
- 2026-07-31
ATT&CK techniques
C2Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
Exfiltration
Impact
What it detects
This rule flags DNS queries for api.telegram.org, indicating potential use of the Telegram Bot API by a bot, script, or application. Attackers can leverage the Bot API for command-and-control or message-based exfiltration while blending in with legitimate bot traffic. It relies on DNS telemetry that records queried domain names and matches the specific host api.telegram.org.
Reporting behind it
- core.telegram.orghttps://core.telegram.org/bots/faq
- researchcenter.paloaltonetworks.comhttps://researchcenter.paloaltonetworks.com/2018/03/unit42-telerat-another-android-trojan-leveraging-telegrams-bot-api-to-target-iranian-users/
- blog.malwarebytes.comhttps://blog.malwarebytes.com/threat-analysis/2016/11/telecrypt-the-ransomware-abusing-telegram-api-defeated/
- welivesecurity.comhttps://www.welivesecurity.com/2016/12/13/rise-telebots-analyzing-disruptive-killdisk-attacks/
- github.comhttps://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/network/dns/net_dns_susp_telegram_api.yml
Changelog
v2- v2Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v1No changelog recorded for this version.2026-07-30
Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.
title: Suspicious DNS queries to api.telegram.org for Telegram Bot API traffic
id: beda47ed-367e-414b-82de-7c7a5878aea7
status: test
description: This rule flags DNS queries for api.telegram.org, indicating potential use of the Telegram Bot API by a bot, script, or application. Attackers can leverage the Bot API for command-and-control or message-based exfiltration while blending in with legitimate bot traffic. It relies on DNS telemetry that records queried domain names and matches the specific host api.telegram.org.
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/
- https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/network/dns/net_dns_susp_telegram_api.yml
author: Florian Roth (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
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
condition: selection
falsepositives:
- Legitimate use of Telegram bots in the company
level: medium
license: DRL-1.1
related:
- id: c64c5175-5189-431b-a55e-6d9882158251
type: derived