Suspicious Data Exfiltration Channel to Telegram or Discord via dns_query

ATT&CK techniques

Cred Access → C2

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
- T1555.003Credentials from Web Browsers
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
- T1071.001Web Protocols
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule detects DNS queries to Telegram and Discord API endpoints from processes that are not standard messaging or browser clients, a command-and-control and exfiltration pattern used by STEALC and other information stealers. Attackers abuse these popular platforms to blend malicious traffic with legitimate service usage. Resolution of these domains by unexpected processes warrants investigation.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1071.001 — drag to rearrange

Possible Spectre Ops C2 Beacon via nico and yfat Query Parameters via proxy

Possible Origin Logger C2 Exfiltration via Hardcoded User Agent and Gate Endpoints via proxy

Malicious Agent Tesla Loader Malformed User-Agent in HTTP Traffic (via proxy)

Malicious Interlock RAT FileFix Download-Cradle via PowerShell WebClient with PowerShell User-Agent (via ps_script)

Suspicious Cobalt Strike Malleable Profile Beaconing via Legacy MSIE9 User-Agent and IE Compatibility URIs (via proxy)

Malicious Cobalt Strike Default Named Pipe Activity

Malicious VoidLink Kernel Rootkit C2 Endpoints via HTTP (via proxy)

Malicious EtherRAT C2 Exfiltration Endpoints via HTTP (via proxy)

Possible PlugX and NPS Proxy Command and Control Domain Lookup

Suspicious Data Exfiltration Channel to Telegram or Discord via dns_query

Pivot detection · T1071.001 · 9 related

Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.

Full detection rule

Unlock this rule to view and copy it

The detection logic is included with a plan. Everything else — context, mappings and implementation details — stays free on this page.

Sign in for 3 free unlocks

Signing in gives you 3 unlocks to spend on any rule in the library. No card, and they do not expire.

Also included

Unlocked rules convert on this page — to Splunk SPL or Splunk — Raw Index SPL or Microsoft Sentinel KQL or Microsoft Sentinel ASIM ASIM KQL or Microsoft Defender XDR KQL or Elastic Security KQL or Elastic Security Lucene or Elastic Security ES|QL or CrowdStrike Falcon CQL or SentinelOne PowerQuery or Palo Alto Cortex XDR XQL or Carbon Black Cloud Platform Search or Carbon Black EDR Process Search or Google Security Operations UDM Search or IBM QRadar AQL or Sumo Logic Cloud SIEM Rules expression or Rapid7 InsightIDR LEQL or Graylog Search or OpenSearch Lucene or OpenSearch PPL PPL or Grafana Loki LogQL or SQLite SQL or Zircolite SQLite — with the log-source profile the engine picked, the field map it used, and everything it could not express. Converting a rule you have unlocked costs no further credit.

See it run on a free rule →Convert your own rule →