Proxy logs: Detect suspicious hack tool user agents from known scanning and SQLi tools

Alerts on proxy requests with User-Agent values commonly used by scanners and hack tools, indicating automated probing or exploitation attempts.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v2
Category
proxy
Author
Florian Roth (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published
2017-07-08
Updated
2026-07-31

ATT&CK techniques

Initial Access → Cred Access
  1. Recon

  2. Resource Dev

  3. Execution

  4. Persistence

  5. Priv Esc

  6. Defense Evasion

  7. Cred Access

  8. Discovery

  9. Lateral Movement

  10. Collection

  11. C2

  12. Exfiltration

  13. Impact

What it detects

This rule matches proxy user-agent strings that contain or exactly equal values associated with vulnerability scanners, brute-force tools, and SQL injection tooling. Attackers often disguise automated probing by using characteristic user agents, so flagging these strings helps identify initial reconnaissance and credential-access activity. The detection relies on proxy log telemetry capturing the HTTP user-agent field.

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Proxy logs: Detect suspicious hack tool user agents from known scanning and SQLi tools
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Changelog

v2
  1. v2
    Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
  2. v1
    No 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.