NSE7_SOC_AR-7.6 Exam Dumps - Fortinet NSE 7 - Security Operations 7.6 Architect

Understanding Playbook Variables:

Playbook tasks in Security Operations Center (SOC) playbooks use variables to pass and manipulate data between different steps in the automation process.

Variables help in dynamically handling data, making the playbook more flexible and adaptive to different scenarios.

Types of Variables:

Input Variables:

Input variables are used to provide data to a playbook task. These variables can be set manually or derived from previous tasks.

They act as parameters that the task will use to perform its operations.

Output Variables:

Output variables store the result of a playbook task. These variables can then be used as inputs for subsequent tasks.

They capture the outcome of the task's execution, allowing for the dynamic flow of information through the playbook.

Other Options:

Create:Not typically referred to as a type of variable in playbook tasks. It might refer to an action but not a variable type.

Trigger:Refers to the initiation mechanism of the playbook or task (e.g., an event trigger), not a type of variable.

Conclusion:

The two types of variables used in playbook tasks areinputandoutput.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From FortiSOAR 7.6., FortiSIEM 7.3 Exact Extract study guide:

InFortiSOAR 7.6, step utilities are advanced configurations applied to individual playbook steps to control logic, timing, and data processing. According to the Playbook Engine architecture:

Timeout (A):TheTimeoututility allows an administrator to define a maximum duration for a step to complete. If the step does not finish within this designated window, the playbook engine terminates the step and the overall playbook execution to prevent hung processes and resource exhaustion.

Loop (B):TheLooputility is used for iterative processing (e.g., performing a lookup for every IP in a list). A playbook step can only containone Loop utility configuration. If multiple iterations are required across different data sets, they must be handled in separate steps or nested child playbooks.

Condition (D):TheConditionutility (Decision Step logic) behaves differently when aLoopis present. If there is no loop, the condition determines if the step executes once. If a loop is present, the condition is evaluated foreach itemin the loop, effectively acting as a filter for which iterations proceed.

Why other options are incorrect:

Variables (C):TheVariablesutility (Set Variable) is used to define new custom variables within the scope of that step for later use. It does not "store the output of the step directly in the step itself"; step outputs are automatically stored in the vars.steps. object by the engine regardless of the utility used.

Mock Output (E):TheMock Outpututility is used for testing and development to simulate successful data returns without actually executing a connector. It usesJSON format, not HTML, to ensure the simulated data structure matches what the playbook engine expects for downstream Jinja processing.

Slot 1:dataSlot 2:json_querySlot 3:("results[?type=='FileHash-MD5']")Slot 4:value

Final Expression: {{ vars.artifacts.data | json_query("results[?type=='FileHash-MD5']") .value }}

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From FortiSOAR 7.6., FortiSIEM 7.3 Exact Extract study guide:

InFortiSOAR 7.6, advanced data manipulation within playbooks often requires the use ofJMESPathqueries via the json_query Jinja filter. To extract specific data from a complex JSON object (like the vars.artifacts dictionary shown in the exhibit), the analyst must follow the structural hierarchy:

Slot 1 (data):Based on the exhibit, the root of the artifact information is located under vars.artifacts.data. Therefore, "data" is the starting point for the filter.

Slot 2 (json_query):To perform advanced filtering (searching for a specific type), the json_query filter must be applied. This allows the playbook to traverse the list and find items matching a specific key-value pair.

Slot 3 ("results[?type=='FileHash-MD5']"):This is the JMESPath expression. It looks into the results array and applies a filter [?...] to find only those objects where the type attribute exactly matches FileHash-MD5.

Slot 4 (value):Once the correct object(s) are found, the expression needs to return the actual hash. In the JSON exhibit, the MD5 string is stored in the key named value.

Why other options are incorrect:

tojson:This filter converts a dictionary/list into a JSON string, which would break the ability to further query the object for the "value" field.

results (as a standalone slot):While "results" is part of the path, it is handledinsidethe json_query string to allow for conditional filtering.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From FortiSOAR 7.6., FortiSIEM 7.3 Exact Extract study guide:

Based on the analysis of theTriggering Eventsand theRaw Messageprovided in the FortiSIEM 7.3 interface:

Active Reconnaissance (A):The "Triggering Events" table shows a single source IP (10.200.3.219) attempting to connect to multiple different destination IP addresses (10.200.200.166, .128, .129, .159, .91) on the same service (FTP/Port 21). Each attempt consists of exactly1 Sent Packetand0 Received Packets. This pattern of "one-to-many" sequential connection attempts is the signature of a horizontal port scan, which is a primary technique inActive Reconnaissance.

Destination hosts are not responding (C):The Raw Log shows the action as"timeout"and specifically lists"sentpkt=1 rcvdpkt=0". In FortiGate log logic (which FortiSIEM parses), a "timeout" with zero received packets indicates that the firewall allowed the packet out (Action was not 'deny'), but no SYN-ACK or response was received from the target host within the session timeout period. This confirms the destination hosts are either offline, non-existent, or silently dropping the traffic.

Why other options are incorrect:

FortiGate is not routing (B):If the FortiGate were not routing the packets, the logs would typically not show a successful session initialization ending in a "timeout," or they would show a routing error/deny. The fact that 44 bytes were sent indicates the FortiGate processed and attempted to forward the traffic.

FortiGate is blocking return flows (D):If the return flow were being blocked by a security policy on the FortiGate, the action would typically be logged as"deny"for the return traffic, and the session state would reflect a policy violation rather than a generic session"timeout".

Understanding the Playbook and its Components:

The exhibit shows the status of a playbook named "DOS attack" and its associated tasks.

The playbook is designed to execute a series of tasks upon detecting a DoS attack event.

Analysis of Playbook Tasks:

Attach_Data_To_Incident:Task ID placeholder_8fab0102, status is "upstream_failed," meaning it did not execute properly due to a previous task's failure.

Get Events:Task ID placeholder_fa2a573c, status is "success."

Create SMTP Enumeration incident:Task ID placeholder_3db75c0a, status is "failed."

Reviewing Raw Logs:

The error log shows a ValueError: invalid literal for int() with base 10: '10.200.200.100'.

This error indicates that the task attempted to convert a string (the IP address '10.200.200.100') to an integer, which is not possible.

Identifying the Source of the Error:

The error occurs in the file "incident_operator.py," specifically in the execute method.

This suggests that the task "Create SMTP Enumeration incident" is the one causing the issue because it failed to process the data type correctly.

Conclusion:

The failure of the playbook is due to the "Create SMTP Enumeration incident" task receiving a string value (an IP address) when it expects an integer value. This mismatch in data types leads to the error.

Comprehensive and Detailed Explanation From FortiSOAR 7.6., FortiSIEM 7.3 Exact Extract study guide:

InFortiSIEM 7.3, theTriggering Eventsview is a dynamic table that displays the individual logs that caused a specific rule to fire. To manage the visibility of data within this specific view:

Interface Customization:The "Triggering Events" tab includes a column management feature. By clicking on the column headers or the table settings icon (typically found at the top right of the event list), an analyst cancustomize the display columns. This allows the user to uncheck the "Reporting IP" attribute, effectively hiding it from the view without altering the underlying data or rule logic.

Operational Efficiency:This is a common task in environments with a simplified topology where the "Reporting IP" is redundant information. Customizing the view helps the analyst focus on the most relevant data points, such as "Source IP," "Destination IP," and "Destination Port."

Why other options are incorrect:

A (Incident Action):Clearing a field from the Incident Action configuration affects what data is sent in an email alert or passed to a SOAR platform, but it does not change the layout of the FortiSIEM GUI "Triggering Events" page.

B (Disable Correlation):Disabling correlation for an attribute determines whether that attribute is used by the rules engine to group events. It does not control the visual display of columns in the incident dashboard.

C (Parsing Rules):Removing attributes via parsing rules is a destructive process that prevents the SIEM from indexing that data entirely. This would make the "Reporting IP" unavailable for all searches and reports, which is excessive for a simple display preference.

Understanding the Playbook Configuration:

The "Malicious File Detect" playbook is designed to create an incident when a malicious file detection event is triggered.

The playbook includes tasks such as Attach_Data_To_Incident, Create Incident, and Get Events.

Analyzing the Playbook Execution:

The exhibit shows that the Create Incident task has failed, and the Attach_Data_To_Incident task has also failed.

The Get Events task succeeded, indicating that it was able to retrieve event data.

Reviewing Raw Logs:

The raw logs indicate an error related to parsing input in the incident_operator.py file.

The error traceback suggests that the task was expecting a specific input format (likely a name or number) but received an incorrect data format.

Identifying the Source of the Failure:

The Create Incident task failure is the root cause since it did not proceed correctly due to incorrect input format.

The Attach_Data_To_Incident task subsequently failed because it depends on the successful creation of an incident.

Conclusion:

The primary reason for the playbook execution failure is that the Create Incident task received an incorrect data format, which was not a name or number as expected.

Understanding the MITRE ATT&CK Tactics:

The MITRE ATT&CK framework categorizes various tactics and techniques used by adversaries to achieve their objectives.

Tactics represent the objectives of an attack, while techniques represent how those objectives are achieved.

Analyzing the Incident Report:

Phishing Email Campaign:This tactic is commonly used for gaining initial access to a system.

Malicious Link and RAT Download:Clicking a malicious link and downloading a RAT is indicative of establishing initial access.

Remote Access Trojan (RAT):Once installed, the RAT allows attackers to maintain access over an extended period, which is a persistence tactic.

Mapping to MITRE ATT&CK Tactics:

Initial Access:

This tactic covers techniques used to gain an initial foothold within a network.

Techniques include phishing and exploiting external remote services.

The phishing campaign and malicious link click fit this category.

Persistence:

This tactic includes methods that adversaries use to maintain their foothold.

Techniques include installing malware that can survive reboots and persist on the system.

The RAT provides persistent remote access, fitting this tactic.

Exclusions:

Defense Evasion:

This involves techniques to avoid detection and evade defenses.

While potentially relevant in a broader context, the incident report does not specifically describe actions taken to evade defenses.

Lateral Movement:

This involves moving through the network to other systems.

The report does not indicate actions beyond initial access and maintaining that access.

Conclusion:

The incident report captures the tactics ofInitial AccessandPersistence.