splunk_escuAnomaly

Windows DNS Query Request by Telegram Bot API

The following analytic detects the execution of a DNS query by a process to the associated Telegram API domain, which could indicate access via a Telegram bot commonly used by malware for command and control (C2) communications. By monitoring DNS queries related to Telegram's infrastructure, the detection identifies potential attempts to establish covert communication channels between a compromised system and external malicious actors. This behavior is often observed in cyberattacks where Telegram bots are used to receive commands or exfiltrate data, making it a key indicator of suspicious or malicious activity within a network.

MITRE ATT&CK

T1071.004 T1102.002

command-and-control

Detection Query

`sysmon` EventCode=22  query = "api.telegram.org" process_name != "telegram.exe"
  | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime
    BY answer answer_count dvc
       process_exec process_guid process_name
       query query_count reply_code_id
       signature signature_id src
       user_id vendor_product QueryName
       QueryResults QueryStatus
  | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
  | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
  | `windows_dns_query_request_by_telegram_bot_api_filter`

Author

Teoderick Contreras, Splunk

Created

2026-03-10

Data Sources

Sysmon EventID 22

References

https://www.splunk.com/en_us/blog/security/threat-advisory-telegram-crypto-botnet-strt-ta01.html

Tags

Crypto Stealer0bj3ctivity StealerBlankGrabber Stealer

Raw Content

name: Windows DNS Query Request by Telegram Bot API
id: 86f66f44-94d9-412d-a71d-5d8ed0fef72e
version: 7
date: '2026-03-10'
author: Teoderick Contreras, Splunk
data_source:
    - Sysmon EventID 22
type: Anomaly
status: production
description: The following analytic detects the execution of a DNS query by a process to the associated Telegram API domain, which could indicate access via a Telegram bot commonly used by malware for command and control (C2) communications. By monitoring DNS queries related to Telegram's infrastructure, the detection identifies potential attempts to establish covert communication channels between a compromised system and external malicious actors. This behavior is often observed in cyberattacks where Telegram bots are used to receive commands or exfiltrate data, making it a key indicator of suspicious or malicious activity within a network.
search: |-
    `sysmon` EventCode=22  query = "api.telegram.org" process_name != "telegram.exe"
      | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime
        BY answer answer_count dvc
           process_exec process_guid process_name
           query query_count reply_code_id
           signature signature_id src
           user_id vendor_product QueryName
           QueryResults QueryStatus
      | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
      | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
      | `windows_dns_query_request_by_telegram_bot_api_filter`
how_to_implement: To successfully implement this search, you need to be ingesting logs with the process name and eventcode = 22 dnsquery executions from your endpoints. If you are using Sysmon, you must have at least version 6.0.4 of the Sysmon TA.
known_false_positives: a third part automation using telegram API.
references:
    - https://www.splunk.com/en_us/blog/security/threat-advisory-telegram-crypto-botnet-strt-ta01.html
drilldown_searches:
    - name: View the detection results for - "$dest$"
      search: '%original_detection_search% | search  dest = "$dest$"'
      earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
    - name: View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$dest$"
      search: '| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$dest$") starthoursago=168  | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime values(search_name) as "Search Name" values(risk_message) as "Risk Message" values(analyticstories) as "Analytic Stories" values(annotations._all) as "Annotations" values(annotations.mitre_attack.mitre_tactic) as "ATT&CK Tactics" by normalized_risk_object | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`'
      earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
rba:
    message: DNS query by a telegram bot [$query$] on [$dvc$].
    risk_objects:
        - field: dvc
          type: system
          score: 20
    threat_objects: []
tags:
    analytic_story:
        - Crypto Stealer
        - 0bj3ctivity Stealer
        - BlankGrabber Stealer
    asset_type: Endpoint
    mitre_attack_id:
        - T1071.004
        - T1102.002
    product:
        - Splunk Enterprise
        - Splunk Enterprise Security
        - Splunk Cloud
    security_domain: endpoint
tests:
    - name: True Positive Test
      attack_data:
        - data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1102.002/telegram_api_dns/telegram_dns.log
          source: XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational
          sourcetype: XmlWinEventLog