Abnormal connections to a dormant host from a newly seen endpoint

Synopsis

Field	Value
Activation Period	14 Days
Training Period	30 Days
Test Period	6 Hours
Deduplication Period	1 Day
Required Data	Requires one of the following data sources: Palo Alto Networks Firewall traffic Logs OR XDR Agent
ATT&CK Tactic	Discovery (TA0007)
ATT&CK Technique	Remote System Discovery (T1018)
Severity	Informational

Description

The endpoint has performed multiple connections to an endpoint that is relatively inactive on the network.

Attacker's Goals

• While probing the network, an attacker may discover dormant hosts.
• These inactive systems can then be used for lateral movement or privilege escalation.

Investigative actions

• Validate that the source is not a sanctioned port scanner.
• Check for suspicious artifacts in the endpoint profile.

Variations

Abnormal connections to a dormant host

Synopsis

Field	Value
ATT&CK Tactic	Discovery (TA0007)
ATT&CK Technique	Remote System Discovery (T1018)
Severity	Low

Description

The endpoint has performed multiple connections to an endpoint that is relatively inactive on the network.

Attacker's Goals

• While probing the network, an attacker may discover dormant hosts.
• These inactive systems can then be used for lateral movement or privilege escalation.

Investigative actions

• Validate that the source is not a sanctioned port scanner.
• Check for suspicious artifacts in the endpoint profile.