Active Exploitation Validation

1. Prerequisites

• Exploitation alert or notification received
• Access to SIEM
• Access to EDR platform
• Access to IDS/IPS telemetry
• Access to vulnerability management platform
• Access to threat intelligence sources
• Access to affected asset information
• Incident ticket created

2. Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Review Initial Alert

   • Identify:
     • Alert source
     • Detection type
     • Timestamp
     • Affected assets
   • Record findings.

2. Identify Exploitation Indicators

   • Review:
     • Exploit signatures
     • Process execution
     • Network activity
     • Authentication activity
   • Document indicators.

3. Validate Asset Exposure

   • Confirm:
     • Asset existence
     • Asset ownership
     • Service exposure
     • Vulnerability status
   • Document findings.

4. Review Threat Intelligence

   • Determine:
     • Known exploitation activity
     • Exploit availability
     • Active campaigns
   • Record relevant intelligence.

5. Review Endpoint Activity

   • Review:
     • Process execution
     • Child processes
     • Command execution
     • Persistence activity
   • Identify evidence of exploitation.

6. Review Network Activity

   • Identify:
     • Inbound connections
     • Outbound connections
     • C2 activity
     • Lateral movement indicators
   • Document findings.

7. Assess Exploitation Status

   • Determine:
     • Attempted exploitation
     • Successful exploitation
     • Ongoing exploitation
   • Document confidence level.

8. Assess Immediate Risk

   • Determine:
     • Number of assets affected
     • Business impact
     • Exposure level
   • Assign preliminary severity.

9. Document Findings

   • Record:
     • Indicators observed
     • Assets involved
     • Severity assessment
     • Confidence level
   • Preserve supporting evidence.

10. Escalate and Hand Off

    • Escalate confirmed activity for investigation and containment.
    • Update the incident record with all findings.

3. Post-Action

• Ensure findings are documented.
• Preserve evidence supporting validation.
• Record affected assets and indicators.
• Ensure appropriate escalation has occurred.

Contributor

Vishal Thakur GitHub: https://github.com/malienist

Contributed to the Arcana Incident Response Documentation Framework.