DC0103: Active DNS
"Domain Name: Active DNS" data component captures queried DNS registry data that highlights current domain-to-IP address resolutions. This data includes both direct queries to DNS servers and records that provide mappings between domain names and associated IP addresses. It serves as a critical resource for tracking active infrastructure and understanding the network footprint of an organization or adversary. Examples:
- DNS Query Example: `nslookup example.com`, `dig example.com A` - PTR Record Example: `dig -x 192.168.1.1` - Tracking Malicious Domains: DNS logs reveal repeated queries to suspicious domains like malicious-site.com. The IPs resolved by these domains may be indicators of compromise (IOCs). - DNS Record Types - A/AAAA Record: Maps domain names to IP addresses (IPv4/IPv6). - CNAME Record: Canonical name records, often used for redirects. - MX Record: Mail exchange records, used to route emails. - TXT Record: Can include security information like SPF or DKIM policies. - SOA Record: Start of authority record for domain management. - NS Record: Lists authoritative name servers for the domain.
This data component can be collected through the following measures:
- System Utilities: Use built-in tools like `nslookup`, `dig`, or host on Linux, macOS, and Windows to perform active DNS queries. - DNS Logging - Windows DNS Server: Enable DNS Analytical Logging to capture DNS queries and responses. - Bind DNS: Enable query logging in the named.conf file. - Cloud Provider DNS Logging - AWS Route 53: Enable query logging through CloudWatch or S3: - Google Cloud DNS: Enable logging for Cloud DNS queries through Google Cloud Logging. - Network Traffic Monitoring: Use tools like Wireshark or Zeek to analyze DNS queries within network traffic. - Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) Integration: Aggregate DNS logs in a SIEM like Splunk to create alerts and monitor patterns. - Public OSINT Tools: Use OSINT platforms like VirusTotal, or PassiveTotal to collect information on domains and their associated IP addresses.
Security context for executives and security teams
DC0103: Active DNS describes "Domain Name: Active DNS" data component captures queried DNS registry data that highlights current domain-to-IP address resolutions. This data includes both direct queries to DNS servers and records that provide mappings between domain names and associated IP addresses. It serves as a critical resource for tracking active infrastructure and understanding the network footprint of an organization or adversary. Examples: - DNS Query Example: `nslookup example.com`, `dig example.com A` - PTR Record Example: `dig -x 19...
Executive priority
DC0103: Active DNS is an official MITRE ATT&CK data component. Glexia treats it as defensive behavior context for prioritizing monitoring, control validation, and response planning without using the object by itself as an attribution claim.
Technical view
Security teams should validate DC0103: Active DNS by reviewing the official ATT&CK relationships, mapped tactics (the mapped ATT&CK tactic context), supported platforms (the platforms named in the official object), and available local telemetry before making detection or mitigation decisions.
Likely telemetry
- Official ATT&CK relationships and object metadata
Detection direction
- Validate whether DC0103: Active DNS appears in your detection coverage and tabletop scenarios.
- Use the object to align executive risk language with SOC, incident response, and detection engineering work.
- Do not treat ATT&CK relationship context as attribution without corroborating evidence.
Mitigation priorities
- Map the object to existing controls and identify missing telemetry or response ownership.
- Prioritize mitigations that reduce exposure on the listed platforms and tactics.
- Review adjacent ATT&CK relationships before changing policy, detections, or reporting language.
Additional notes and limits
Baseline Glexia take generated from the official MITRE ATT&CK STIX object, source hash, tactics, platforms, and detection fields. It is safe to replace with a richer model-generated take for the same source hash later.
This baseline take is source-grounded and schema-validated, but it does not include environment-specific telemetry, incident evidence, or threat-intelligence corroboration.
Generated from the cited source records. This long-tail analysis has not been individually reviewed by a named human.
Active DNS
"Domain Name: Active DNS" data component captures queried DNS registry data that highlights current domain-to-IP address resolutions. This data includes both direct queries to DNS servers and records that provide mappings between domain names and associated IP addresses. It serves as a critical resource for tracking active infrastructure and understanding the network footprint of an organization or adversary. Examples:
- DNS Query Example: `nslookup example.com`, `dig example.com A` - PTR Record Example: `dig -x 192.168.1.1` - Tracking Malicious Domains: DNS logs reveal repeated queries to suspicious domains like malicious-site.com. The IPs resolved by these domains may be indicators of compromise (IOCs). - DNS Record Types - A/AAAA Record: Maps domain names to IP addresses (IPv4/IPv6). - CNAME Record: Canonical name records, often used for redirects. - MX Record: Mail exchange records, used to route emails. - TXT Record: Can include security information like SPF or DKIM policies. - SOA Record: Start of authority record for domain management. - NS Record: Lists authoritative name servers for the domain.
This data component can be collected through the following measures:
- System Utilities: Use built-in tools like `nslookup`, `dig`, or host on Linux, macOS, and Windows to perform active DNS queries. - DNS Logging - Windows DNS Server: Enable DNS Analytical Logging to capture DNS queries and responses. - Bind DNS: Enable query logging in the named.conf file. - Cloud Provider DNS Logging - AWS Route 53: Enable query logging through CloudWatch or S3: - Google Cloud DNS: Enable logging for Cloud DNS queries through Google Cloud Logging. - Network Traffic Monitoring: Use tools like Wireshark or Zeek to analyze DNS queries within network traffic. - Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) Integration: Aggregate DNS logs in a SIEM like Splunk to create alerts and monitor patterns. - Public OSINT Tools: Use OSINT platforms like VirusTotal, or PassiveTotal to collect information on domains and their associated IP addresses.
How security teams should use this page
Treat this object as behavior context, not an attribution claim. Validate the related groups, software, data sources, and mitigations against official ATT&CK relationships and your own telemetry before making control-coverage decisions.
All related ATT&CK context
No relationships are available in the current normalized data for this object.
Object version and sync metadata
The fields below describe the current mirrored snapshot. When Glexia retains multiple ATT&CK source imports, you can open the table to compare the same object across releases (hashes and MITRE timestamps). For MITRE’s own release notes and roadmap, see ATT&CK resources — Updates.
Imported snapshots across ATT&CK releases(3)
| Release | Bundle imported | Object version | Modified | Status | Raw hash |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20.0 | 2.0 | Older bundle | ad1b501b8ed8… | ||
| 19.2 | 2.0 | Current bundle | ad1b501b8ed8… | ||
| 19.1 | 2.0 | Older bundle | ad1b501b8ed8… |
Mirrored ATT&CK source object
The raw object is retained through the mirrored ATT&CK source bundle and object hash. The raw endpoint returns the exact object from the mirrored bundle when available.
External references and citations
MITRE external references are preserved separately from Glexia analysis so citations remain traceable to their original source records.
- [1]mitre-attackDC0103Open source URL
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