Suspicious Telegram Bot API Request (via dns)

title: Suspicious Telegram Bot API Request (via dns)
id: af3cb6b4-58df-5bfc-974d-29aec37e9cc2
status: stable
description: This rule detects anomalous DNS queries to api.telegram.org used by Telegram Bots of any kind
references:
    - https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1102/002/
    - 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: Huntrule Team
date: 2026-06-17
tags:
    - attack.command-and-control
    - attack.t1102.002
logsource:
    category: dns
detection:
    selection:
        query: 'api.telegram.org'
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - Unknown
level: medium