Log format for IOC and BIOC alerts

An email account or a syslog receiver are the notification channels through which IOC and BIOC alerts are communicated.

Cortex XDR logs IOC and BIOC alerts. If you configure Cortex XDR to forward logs in the legacy format, when alert logs are forwarded from Cortex XDR, each log record has the following format:

• Email account: Each field is labeled, one line per field.

  Example:

  edrData/action_country: 
  edrData/action_download: 
  edrData/action_external_hostname: 
  edrData/action_external_port: 
  edrData/action_file_extension: pdf
  edrData/action_file_md5: null
  edrData/action_file_name: XORXOR2614081980.pdf
  ...
  xdr_sub_type: BIOC - Credential Access
  bioc_category_enum_key: null
  alert_action_status: null
  agent_data_collection_status: null
  attempt_counter: null
  case_id: null
  global_content_version_id: 
  global_rule_id: 
  is_whitelisted: false

• Syslog format

  Example:

  "/edrData/action_country","/edrData/action_download","/edrData/action_external_hostname","/edrData/action_external_port","/edrData/action_file_extension","/edrData/action_file_md5","/edrData/action_file_name","/edrData/action_file_path","/edrData/action_file_previous_file_extension","/edrData/action_file_previous_file_name","/edrData/action_file_previous_file_path","/edrData/action_file_sha256","/edrData/action_file_size","/edrData/action_file_remote_ip","/edrData/action_file_remote_port","/edrData/action_is_injected_thread","/edrData/action_local_ip","/edrData/action_local_port","/edrData/action_module_base_address","/edrData/action_module_image_size","/edrData/action_module_is_remote","/edrData/action_module_is_replay","/edrData/action_module_path","/edrData/action_module_process_causality_id","/edrData/action_module_process_image_command_line","/edrData/action_module_process_image_extension","/edrData/action_module_process_image_md5","/edrData/action_module_process_image_name","/edrData/action_module_process_image_path","/edrData/action_module_process_image_sha256","/edrData/action_module_process_instance_id","/edrData/action_module_process_is_causality_root","/edrData/action_module_process_os_pid","/edrData/action_module_process_signature_product","/edrData/action_module_process_signature_status","/edrData/action_module_process_signature_vendor","/edrData/action_network_connection_id","/edrData/action_network_creation_time","/edrData/action_network_is_ipv6","/edrData/action_process_causality_id","/edrData/action_process_image_command_line","/edrData/action_process_image_extension","/edrData/action_process_image_md5","/edrData/action_process_image_name","/edrData/action_process_image_path","/edrData/action_process_image_sha256","/edrData/action_process_instance_id","/edrData/action_process_integrity_level","/edrData/action_process_is_causality_root","/edrData/action_process_is_replay","/edrData/action_process_is_special","/edrData/action_process_os_pid","/edrData/action_process_signature_product","/edrData/action_process_signature_status","/edrData/action_process_signature_vendor","/edrData/action_proxy","/edrData/action_registry_data","/edrData/action_registry_file_path","/edrData/action_registry_key_name","/edrData/action_registry_value_name","/edrData/action_registry_value_type","/edrData/action_remote_ip","/edrData/action_remote_port","/edrData/action_remote_process_causality_id","/edrData/action_remote_process_image_command_line","/edrData/action_remote_process_image_extension","/edrData/action_remote_process_image_md5","/edrData/action_remote_process_image_name","/edrData/action_remote_process_image_path","/edrData/action_remote_process_image_sha256","/edrData/action_remote_process_is_causality_root","/edrData/action_remote_process_os_pid","/edrData/action_remote_process_signature_product","/edrData/action_remote_process_signature_status","/edrData/action_remote_process_signature_vendor","/edrData/action_remote_process_thread_id","/edrData/action_remote_process_thread_start_address","/edrData/action_thread_thread_id","/edrData/action_total_download","/edrData/action_total_upload","/edrData/action_upload","/edrData/action_user_status","/edrData/action_username","/edrData/actor_causality_id","/edrData/actor_effective_user_sid","/edrData/actor_effective_username","/edrData/actor_is_injected_thread","/edrData/actor_primary_user_sid","/edrData/actor_primary_username","/edrData/actor_process_causality_id","/edrData/actor_process_command_line","/edrData/actor_process_execution_time","/edrData/actor_process_image_command_line","/edrData/actor_process_image_extension","/edrData/actor_process_image_md5","/edrData/actor_process_image_name","/edrData/actor_process_image_path","/edrData/actor_process_image_sha256","/edrData/actor_process_instance_id","/edrData/actor_process_integrity_level","/edrData/actor_process_is_special","/edrData/actor_process_os_pid","/edrData/actor_process_signature_product","/edrData/actor_process_signature_status","/edrData/actor_process_signature_vendor","/edrData/actor_thread_thread_id","/edrData/agent_content_version","/edrData/agent_host_boot_time","/edrData/agent_hostname","/edrData/agent_id","/edrData/agent_ip_addresses","/edrData/agent_is_vdi","/edrData/agent_os_sub_type","/edrData/agent_os_type","/edrData/agent_session_start_time","/edrData/agent_version","/edrData/causality_actor_causality_id","/edrData/causality_actor_effective_user_sid","/edrData/causality_actor_effective_username","/edrData/causality_actor_primary_user_sid","/edrData/causality_actor_primary_username","/edrData/causality_actor_process_causality_id","/edrData/causality_actor_process_command_line","/edrData/causality_actor_process_execution_time","/edrData/causality_actor_process_image_command_line","/edrData/causality_actor_process_image_extension","/edrData/causality_actor_process_image_md5","/edrData/causality_actor_process_image_name","/edrData/causality_actor_process_image_path","/edrData/causality_actor_process_image_sha256","/edrData/causality_actor_process_instance_id","/edrData/causality_actor_process_integrity_level","/edrData/causality_actor_process_is_special","/edrData/causality_actor_process_os_pid","/edrData/causality_actor_process_signature_product","/edrData/causality_actor_process_signature_status","/edrData/causality_actor_process_signature_vendor","/edrData/event_id","/edrData/event_is_simulated","/edrData/event_sub_type","/edrData/event_timestamp","/edrData/event_type","/edrData/event_utc_diff_minutes","/edrData/event_version","/edrData/host_metadata_hostname","/edrData/missing_action_remote_process_instance_id","/facility","/generatedTime","/recordType","/recsize","/trapsId","/uuid","/xdr_unique_id","/meta_internal_id","/external_id","/is_visible","/is_secdo_event","/severity","/alert_source","/internal_id","/matching_status","/local_insert_ts","/source_insert_ts","/alert_name","/alert_category","/alert_description","/bioc_indicator","/matching_service_rule_id","/external_url","/xdr_sub_type","/bioc_category_enum_key","/alert_action_status","/agent_data_collection_status","/attempt_counter","/case_id","/global_content_version_id","/global_rule_id","/is_whitelisted"

Field prefixes for BIOC and IOC alert logs

Field Name	Description
/edrData/action_file*	Fields that begin with this prefix describe attributes of a file for which Traps reported activity.
edrData/action_module*	Fields that begin with this prefix describe attributes of a module for which Traps reported module loading activity.
edrData/action_module_process*	Fields that begin with this prefix describe attributes and activity related to processes reported by Traps that load modules such as DLLs on the endpoint.
edrData/action_process_image*	Fields that begin with this prefix describe attributes of a process image for which Traps reported activity.
edrData/action_registry*	Fields that begin with this prefix describe registry activity and attributes such as key name, data, and previous value for which Traps reported activity.
edrData/action_network	Fields that begin with this prefix describe network attributes for which Traps reported activity.
edrData/action_remote_process*	Fields that begin with this prefix describe attributes of remote processes for which Traps reported activity.
edrData/actor*	Fields that begin with this prefix describe attributes about the acting user that initiated the activity on the endpoint.
edrData/agent*	Fields that begin with this prefix describe attributes about the Traps agent deployed on the endpoint.
edrData/causality_actor*	Fields that begin with this prefix describe attributes about the causality group owner.

Additional fields for BIOC and IOC alert logs

Field Name	Description
/severity	Severity assigned to the alert: SEV_010_INFO SEV_020_LOW SEV_030_MEDIUM SEV_040_HIGH SEV_090_UNKNOWN
/alert_source	Source of the alert: BIOC or IOC
/local_insert_ts	Date and time when Cortex XDR – Investigation and Response ingested the app.
/source_insert_ts	Date and time the alert was reported by the alert source.
/alert_name	If the alert was generated by Cortex XDR – Investigation and Response, the alert name will be the specific Cortex XDR rule that created the alert (BIOC or IOC rule name). If from an external system, it will carry the name assigned to it by Cortex XDR .
/alert_category	Alert category based on the alert source. BIOC alert categories: OTHER PERSISTENCE EVASION TAMPERING FILE_TYPE_OBFUSCATION PRIVILEGE_ESCALATION CREDENTIAL_ACCESS LATERAL_MOVEMENT EXECUTION COLLECTION EXFILTRATION INFILTRATION DROPPER FILE_PRIVILEGE_MANIPULATION RECONNAISSANCE IOC alert categories: HASH IP PATH DOMAIN_NAME FILENAME MIXED
/alert_description	Text summary of the event including the alert source, alert name, severity, and file path. For alerts triggered by BIOC and IOC rules, Cortex XDR displays detailed information about the rule.
/bioc_indicator	A JSON representation of the rule characteristics. For example: [{""pretty_name"":""File"",""data_type"":null, ""render_type"":""entity"",""entity_map"":null}, {""pretty_name"":""action type"", ""data_type"":null,""render_type"":""attribute"", ""entity_map"":null},{""pretty_name"":""="", ""data_type"":null,""render_type"":""operator"", ""entity_map"":null},{""pretty_name"":""all"", ""data_type"":null,""render_type"":""value"", ""entity_map"":null},{""pretty_name"":""AND"", ""data_type"":null,""render_type"":""connector"", ""entity_map"":null},{""pretty_name"":""name"", ""data_type"":""TEXT"", ""render_type"":""attribute"", ""entity_map"":""attributes""}, {""pretty_name"":""="",""data_type"":null, ""render_type"":""operator"", ""entity_map"":""attributes""}, {""pretty_name"":""*.pdf"",""data_type"":null, ""render_type"":""value"", ""entity_map"":""attributes""}]"
/bioc_category_enum_key	Alert category based on the alert source. An example of a BIOC alert category is Evasion. An example of a Traps alert category is Exploit Modules.
/alert_action_status	Action taken by the alert sensor with action status displayed in parenthesis: Detected Detected (Download) Detected (Post Detected) Detected (Prompt Allow) Detected (Reported) Detected (Scanned) Prevented (Blocked) Prevented (Prompt Block)
/case_id	Unique identifier for the incident.
/global_content_version_id	Unique identifier for the content version in which a Palo Alto Networks global BIOC rule was released.
/global_rule_id	Unique identifier for an alert triggered by a Palo Alto Networks global BIOC rule.
/is_whitelisted	Boolean indicating whether the alert is excluded or not.