Anti-spyware profile has DNS lists and nothing set to sinkhole
At a glance
Base severity
Area
Platform
Evidence level
Benchmark reference
Reads the export, not the device
ConfigProof reads a configuration export. This control is evaluated against the objects in that file, and it reports what the file says. It does not connect to the device and sees no traffic, so a finding here describes the configuration, not what the firewall is doing right now.
Why it matters
Without the sinkhole action the firewall answers a malicious domain lookup normally, so the infected host receives the real address and the connection that follows is only visible as ordinary traffic. Sinkholing is what turns that lookup into an identifiable host in the logs.
How to fix it
Web interface
The steps below are written for the web interface. A finding raised on your own export carries the same steps with your object names filled in.
- Set the sinkhole action on the DNS signature lists and on the DNS security categories that carry malicious domains.
- Give the profile a sinkhole address at the same time: the action does nothing without one.
- Allow and log traffic to the sinkhole address in the security policy, so the infected host is identifiable.
Command line
PAN-OS CLI, standalone firewall, vsys1
set vsys vsys1 profiles spyware <profile> botnet-domains lists <list> action sinkholeset vsys vsys1 profiles spyware <profile> botnet-domains dns-security-categories <category> action sinkhole
An example. Values in angle brackets are yours to supply; a finding on your own export fills in the names it read. Nothing here commits. Review the candidate configuration, then commit it yourself.
Read it back
show vsys vsys1 profiles spyware <profile> botnet-domainsValues to fill in3
- <profile>
- Which profile to change. A firewall carries several of each kind.
- <list>
- Which botnet domain list to act on.
- <category>
- One URL category, as it appears in the profile's lists.
Before you type it2
- Choosing the sinkhole action is half of it. Without a sinkhole address the action has nowhere to send the answer.
- The DNS Security categories need that subscription. Without it, only the lists apply.
How to confirm the fix
- Reopen the profile's DNS policies and confirm the action on each list and category.
- Resolve a known test domain from an internal host and confirm the answer is the sinkhole address.
Limits
- A configuration export does not show which subscriptions are licensed or active, and the DNS security categories require one.
Compliance references
CIS Palo Alto Firewall 11 Benchmark v1.2.0
Covers part of the recommendation
Where a control aligns with a recommendation of the CIS Palo Alto Firewall 11 Benchmark v1.2.0, that recommendation is cited as a reference. Only that version was checked. A reference is not a certification.
More in Security Profiles
- PAN-SEC-013Allow rule without WildFire analysis
- PAN-SEC-043Profile group is missing part of the recommended baseline
- PAN-SEC-085URL filtering profile alerts on or allows a high-risk category
- PAN-SEC-086WildFire analysis profile forwards a narrowed set of file types or one direction
- PAN-SEC-088Anti-spyware profile sinkholes DNS queries to no address
- PAN-SEC-099Vulnerability protection profile does not block critical or high severity
- PAN-SEC-100Anti-spyware profile does not block every severity
- PAN-SEC-133WildFire file size limit is below the documented default
See it on your own firewall
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