| 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
- Install dependencies:
pip install requests
- Configure Arkime viewer URL and credentials.
- 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%)
