heroui logo

Link: Commonly Abused Web Service redirecting to ZIP file

Sublime Rules

View Source
Summary
The rule flags inbound messages that contain links, validated for a single recipient with a valid domain, where the message includes one to fourteen links. It looks for potentially malicious URL behavior by examining the redirected (effective) URL of each link: the original URL must not end in .zip, but the effective redirected URL must end in .zip. It flags when the root domain of a link is from common abuse lists (URL shorteners, free file hosts, or suspicious subdomains), or when the domain is newly registered (WHOIS days_old < 30). It also considers redirects via open redirect techniques and evasion tactics. The detection leverages URL analysis, Whois data, and archive analysis to correlate likely malware distribution via ZIP payloads, associated with malware/ransomware campaigns. The rule requires an inbound context with links and a single recipient, and it disallows the original ZIP being present while the redirected ZIP is the target. Potential false positives could arise from legitimate ZIP downloads or redirects; noise may be reduced by refining the abuse lists and domain age thresholds. Mitigations include user education, email gateway filtering, and sandboxing of ZIP deliveries for rapid analysis.
Categories
  • Endpoint
  • Web
  • Network
Data Sources
  • Network Traffic
  • Domain Name
  • Process
  • Application Log
Created: 2026-03-11