implementing-network-traffic-analysis-with-arkime

name	implementing-network-traffic-analysis-with-arkime
description	Queries Arkime (formerly Moloch) full packet capture via its API to search sessions, download PCAPs, detect C2 beaconing through connection interval/jitter stats, spot DNS tunneling via query-length analysis, and flag known-bad TLS certificate issuers, using the bundled scripts/agent.py. Use when investigating suspicious network flows or doing full-packet-capture forensics against an Arkime deployment.
domain	cybersecurity
subdomain	network-security
tags	["network-security","arkime","full-packet-capture","nta","pcap-analysis","network-forensics"]
version	1.0
author	mahipal
license	Apache-2.0
nist_csf	["PR.IR-01","DE.CM-01","ID.AM-03","PR.DS-02"]
mitre_attack	["T1046","T1040","T1557","T1071","T1095"]

Implementing Network Traffic Analysis with Arkime

When to Use

• When deploying or configuring implementing network traffic analysis with arkime capabilities in your environment
• When establishing security controls aligned to compliance requirements
• When building or improving security architecture for this domain
• When conducting security assessments that require this implementation

Prerequisites

• Familiarity with network security concepts and tools
• Access to a test or lab environment for safe execution
• Python 3.8+ with required dependencies installed
• Appropriate authorization for any testing activities

Instructions

1. Install dependencies: pip install requests
2. Configure Arkime viewer URL and credentials.
3. Run the agent to query Arkime sessions and analyze traffic:
   • Search sessions by IP, port, protocol, or expression
   • Download PCAP data for forensic analysis
   • Detect C2 beaconing via connection interval analysis
   • Identify DNS tunneling through query length statistics
   • Flag connections to known-bad TLS certificate issuers

python scripts/agent.py --arkime-url https://arkime.local:8005 --user admin --password secret --output arkime_report.json

Examples

Beaconing Detection

Source: 10.1.2.50 -> 185.220.101.34:443
Sessions: 288 over 24 hours
Avg interval: 300s, Jitter: 4.2%
Verdict: HIGH confidence C2 beaconing (jitter < 5%)