configuring-host-based-intrusion-detection

# Configuring Host-Based Intrusion Detection

## When to Use

Use this skill when:
- Deploying HIDS agents (Wazuh, OSSEC, AIDE) across Windows and Linux endpoints
- Configuring file integrity monitoring (FIM) for compliance (PCI DSS 11.5, NIST SI-7)
- Monitoring system configuration changes, rootkit detection, and security policy violations
- Integrating HIDS alerts with SIEM platforms for centralized monitoring

**Do not use** this skill for network-based IDS (Suricata, Snort) or for EDR deployment.

## Prerequisites

- Wazuh server (manager) deployed and accessible from endpoints
- Administrative access to target endpoints
- Network connectivity: agents to Wazuh manager on port 1514 (TCP/UDP) and 1515 (TCP enrollment)
- Wazuh dashboard (OpenSearch Dashboards) for alert visualization
- Understanding of critical files/directories to monitor per OS

## Workflow

### Step 1: Install Wazuh Agent

**Windows**:
```powershell
# Download and install Wazuh agent
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://packages.wazuh.com/4.x/windows/wazuh-agent-4.9.0-1.msi" `
  -OutFile "wazuh-agent.msi"
msiexec /i wazuh-agent.msi /q WAZUH_MANAGER="wazuh-manager.corp.com" `
  WAZUH_REGISTRATION_SERVER="wazuh-manager.corp.com" WAZUH_AGENT_GROUP="windows-workstations"
net start WazuhSvc
```

**Linux (Debian/Ubuntu)**:
```bash
curl -s https://packages.wazuh.com/key/GPG-KEY-WAZUH | gpg --dearmor -o /usr/share/keyrings/wazuh.gpg
echo "deb [signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/wazuh.gpg] https://packages.wazuh.com/4.x/apt/ stable main" \
  > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/wazuh.list
apt-get update && apt-get install wazuh-agent -y
sed -i 's/MANAGER_IP/wazuh-manager.corp.com/' /var/ossec/etc/ossec.conf
systemctl daemon-reload && systemctl enable --now wazuh-agent
```

### Step 2: Configure File Integrity Monitoring (FIM)

Edit agent configuration (`/var/ossec/etc/ossec.conf` or `C:\Program Files (x86)\ossec-agent\ossec.conf`):

```xml
<syscheck>
  <!-- Scan frequency: every 12 hours -->
  <frequency>43200</frequency>
  <scan_on_start>yes</scan_on_start>
  <alert_new_files>yes</alert_new_files>

  <!-- Linux critical directories -->
  <directories check_all="yes" realtime="yes">/etc</directories>
  <directories check_all="yes" realtime="yes">/usr/bin</directories>
  <directories check_all="yes" realtime="yes">/usr/sbin</directories>
  <directories check_all="yes" realtime="yes">/bin</directories>
  <directories check_all="yes" realtime="yes">/sbin</directories>
  <directories check_all="yes">/boot</directories>

  <!-- Windows critical directories -->
  <directories check_all="yes" realtime="yes">C:\Windows\System32</directories>
  <directories check_all="yes" realtime="yes">C:\Windows\SysWOW64</directories>
  <directories check_all="yes" realtime="yes">%PROGRAMFILES%</directories>

  <!-- Windows registry monitoring -->
  <windows_registry>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run</windows_registry>
  <windows_registry>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce</windows_registry>
  <windows_registry>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services</windows_registry>

  <!-- Ignore frequently changing files -->
  <ignore>/etc/mtab</ignore>
  <ignore>/etc/resolv.conf</ignore>
  <ignore type="sregex">.log$</ignore>
</syscheck>
```

### Step 3: Configure Rootkit Detection

```xml
<rootcheck>
  <disabled>no</disabled>
  <frequency>43200</frequency>
  <rootkit_files>/var/ossec/etc/shared/rootkit_files.txt</rootkit_files>
  <rootkit_trojans>/var/ossec/etc/shared/rootkit_trojans.txt</rootkit_trojans>
  <system_audit>/var/ossec/etc/shared/system_audit_rcl.txt</system_audit>
  <check_dev>yes</check_dev>
  <check_files>yes</check_files>
  <check_if>yes</check_if>
  <check_pids>yes</check_pids>
  <check_ports>yes</check_ports>
  <check_sys>yes</check_sys>
  <check_trojans>yes</check_trojans>
  <check_unixaudit>yes</check_unixaudit>
</rootcheck>
```

### Step 4: Configure Log Analysis Rules

```xml
<!-- Custom rules in /var/ossec/etc/rules/local_rules.xml -->
<group name="local,syscheck,">
  <!-- Alert on critical binary modifications -->
  <rule id="100001" level="12">
    <if_sid>550</if_sid>
    <match>/usr/bin/|/usr/sbin/|/bin/|/sbin/</match>
    <description>Critical system binary modified: $(file)</description>
    <group>syscheck,pci_dss_11.5,</group>
  </rule>

  <!-- Alert on new executable in temp directories -->
  <rule id="100002" level="10">
    <if_sid>554</if_sid>
    <match>/tmp/|/var/tmp/</match>
    <description>New file created in temp directory: $(file)</description>
    <group>syscheck,malware,</group>
  </rule>

  <!-- Alert on SSH configuration changes -->
  <rule id="100003" level="10">
    <if_sid>550</if_sid>
    <match>/etc/ssh/sshd_config</match>
    <description>SSH configuration modified</description>
    <group>syscheck,authentication,</group>
  </rule>
</group>
```

### Step 5: Configure Active Response

```xml
<!-- Auto-block IP after repeated authentication failures -->
<active-response>
  <command>firewall-drop</command>
  <location>local</location>
  <rules_id>5712</rules_id>
  <timeout>600</timeout>
</active-response>

<!-- Disable account after brute force detection -->
<active-response>
  <disabled>no</disabled>
  <command>disable-account</command>
  <location>local</location>
  <rules_id>100100</rules_id>
  <timeout>3600</timeout>
</active-response>
```

### Step 6: Integrate with SIEM

```
# Wazuh to Splunk via Filebeat
# Edit /etc/filebeat/filebeat.yml:
filebeat.inputs:
  - type: log
    paths:
      - /var/ossec/logs/alerts/alerts.json
    json.keys_under_root: true
output.elasticsearch:
  hosts: ["https://splunk-hec:8088"]

# Wazuh to Elastic via direct integration
# Wazuh indexer feeds directly into OpenSearch/Elasticsearch
# Dashboard: https://wazuh-dashboard:5601
```

## Key Concepts

| Term | Definition |
|------|-----------|
| **HIDS** | Host-based Intrusion Detection System; monitors individual endpoints for malicious activity |
| **FIM** | File Integrity Monitoring; detects unauthorized changes to files by comparing cryptographic hashes |
| **Syscheck** | Wazuh/OSSEC module for file integrity monitoring and registry monitoring |
| **Rootcheck** | Wazuh/OSSEC module for rootkit and malware detection |
| **Active Response** | Automated defensive action triggered by HIDS alert (IP block, account disable) |
| **CDB List** | Constant Database list used for custom lookups in Wazuh rules |

## Tools & Systems

- **Wazuh**: Open-source HIDS platform (fork of OSSEC) with manager, agent, and dashboard
- **OSSEC**: Original open-source HIDS (predecessor to Wazuh)
- **AIDE (Advanced Intrusion Detection Environment)**: Standalone file integrity checker for Linux
- **Tripwire**: Commercial file integrity monitoring solution
- **Samhain**: Open-source HIDS focused on file integrity and log monitoring

## Common Pitfalls

- **Monitoring too many directories**: FIM on entire filesystems generates excessive alerts. Focus on critical system binaries, configuration files, and web roots.
- **Not excluding noisy files**: Frequently changing files (logs, temp, caches) generate false positive FIM alerts. Maintain exclusion lists.
- **Ignoring baseline establishment**: First FIM scan creates a baseline. Changes detected before baseline stabilization are noise, not threats. Allow 48 hours for baseline.
- **Active response without testing**: Auto-blocking IPs or disabling accounts can cause outages. Test active response rules in a non-production environment first.
- **Agent enrollment failures**: Agents must successfully enroll with the manager before monitoring begins. Verify firewall rules allow port 1514 and 1515 traffic.