Configuring Palo Alto Networks CORTEX XDR Connectors

This connector allows Stellar Cyber to ingest logs from Palo Alto Networks CORTEX XDR and add the records to the data lake.

The Palo Alto Networks CORTEX XDR connector integrates with the Palo Alto Networks CORTEX XDR API to process XDR information and query for several content types.

Stellar Cyber connectors with the Collect function (collectors) may skip collecting some data when the ingestion volume is large, which potentially can lead to data loss. This can happen when the processing capacity of the collector is exceeded.

Connector Overview: Palo Alto Networks CORTEX XDR

Capabilities

  • Collect: Yes

  • Respond: No

  • Native Alerts Mapped: No

  • Runs on: DP

  • Interval: N/A

Collected Data

Content Type

Index

Locating Records

Alerts

Audit Agent Report Logs

Audit Management Logs

Endpoints

Incidents

Risky Hosts

Risky Users

Users

Syslog

msg_class:

palo_alto_networks_cortex_xdr_alerts

palo_alto_networks_cortex_xdr_events

palo_alto_networks_cortex_xdr_audit_agent_report_logs

palo_alto_networks_cortex_xdr_audit_management_logs

palo_alto_networks_cortex_xdr_endpoints

palo_alto_networks_cortex_xdr_incidents

palo_alto_networks_cortex_xdr_risky_hosts

palo_alto_networks_cortex_xdr_risky_users

palo_alto_networks_cortex_xdr_users

msg_origin.source:

palo_alto_networks_cortex_xdr

msg_origin.vendor:

palo_alto_networks

msg_origin.category:

endpoint

The Alerts Content Type can result in more than one msg_class as follows:

  • one palo_alto_networks_cortex_xdr_alerts

  • multiple palo_alto_networks_cortex_xdr_events

You cannot select palo_alto_networks_cortex_xdr_events as a Content Type.

Domain

<FQDN>

where <FQDN> is a variable from the configuration of this connector

Response Actions

N/A

Third Party Native Alert Integration Details

N/A

Required Credentials

  • API Key ID, API Key, and FQDN

               Let us know if you find the above overview useful.

Adding a CORTEX XDR Connector

To add a Palo Alto Networks CORTEX XDR connector:

  1. Obtain credentials
  2. Add the connector in Stellar Cyber
  3. Test the connector
  4. Verify ingestion

Obtaining CORTEX XDR Credentials

Before you configure the connector in Stellar Cyber, you must obtain the following Palo Alto Networks CORTEX XDR credentials:

  • API Key ID

  • API Key

    The API Key has an optional expiration time that can be set by the user.

  • FQDN

To generate the API Key:

  1. Log in as an administrative user to the CORTEX XDR portal.

  2. Navigate to Settings | Configurations.

  3. In Configurations, select API Keys under Integrations.

  4. In the top-right corner, click New Key.

  5. In the Generate API Key page, select Standard for the Security Level, then select the Role that gives you the appropriate access level for this key.

    Ensure that the role associated with the account has permission for the content type.

  6. Click Generate.

  7. Copy the API key, which you will need when configuring the connector in Stellar Cyber.

    Store the API key in a safe location. It cannot be retrieved later although it can be regenerated.

  8. Click Close.

  9. In the API Keys page, locate the API key in the table and note the API key ID, which you will need when configuring the connector in Stellar Cyber.

  10. In the API Keys page, select the API key in the table and click Copy URL. This is the FQDN, which you will need when configuring the connector in Stellar Cyber.

Adding the Connector in Stellar Cyber

To add a Palo Alto Networks CORTEX XDR connector in Stellar Cyber:

  1. Log in to Stellar Cyber.

  2. Click System | Integration | Connectors. The Connector Overview appears.

  3. Click Create. The General tab of the Add Connector screen appears. The information on this tab cannot be changed after you add the connector.

    The asterisk (*) indicates a required field.

  4. Choose Endpoint Security from the Category drop-down.

  5. Choose Palo Alto Networks CORTEX XDR from the Type drop-down.

  6. For this connector, the supported Function is Collect, which is enabled already.

  7. Enter a Name.

    This field does not accept multibyte characters.

  8. Choose a Tenant Name. The Interflow records created by this connector include this tenant name.

  9. Choose the device on which to run the connector.

  10. (Optional) When the Function is Collect, you can apply Log Filters. For information, see Managing Log Filters.

  11. Click Next. The Configuration tab appears.

    The asterisk (*) indicates a required field.

  12. Enter the API Key ID you noted above in Obtaining CORTEX XDR Credentials.

  13. Enter the API Key you noted above.

  14. Enter the FQDN you noted above.

  15. Choose the Content Type you would like to collect. The logs for Alerts, Audit Agent Report Logs, Audit Management Logs, Endpoints, Incidents, Risky Hosts, Risky Users, and Users are supported.

    The Endpoints content type is always selected and cannot be removed from the configuration as it is required for host information.

    The logs for Endpoints, Risky Hosts, Risky Users, and Users are queried every 24 hours.

  16. Click Next. The final confirmation tab appears.

  17. Click Submit.

    To pull data, a connector must be added to a Data Analyzer profile if it is running on the Data Processor.

The new connector is immediately active.

Testing the Connector

When you add (or edit) a connector, we recommend that you run a test to validate the connectivity parameters you entered. (The test validates only the authentication / connectivity; it does not validate data flow).

For connectors running on a sensor, Stellar Cyber recommends that you allow 30-60 seconds for new or modified configuration details to be propagated to the sensor before performing a test.

  1. Click System | Integrations | Connectors. The Connector Overview appears.

  2. Locate the connector that you added, or modified, or that you want to test.

  3. Click Test at the right side of that row. The test runs immediately.

    Note that you may run only one test at a time.

Stellar Cyber conducts a basic connectivity test for the connector and reports a success or failure result. A successful test indicates that you entered all of the connector information correctly.

To aid troubleshooting your connector, the dialog remains open until you explicitly close it by using the X button. If the test fails, you can select the  button from the same row to review and correct issues.

The connector status is updated every five (5) minutes. A successful test clears the connector status, but if issues persist, the status reverts to failed after a minute.

Repeat the test as needed.

ClosedDisplay sample messages...

Success !

Failure with summary of issue:

Show More example detail:

If the test fails, the common HTTP status error codes are as follows:

HTTP Error Code HTTP Standard Error Name Explanation Recommendation
400 Bad Request This error occurs when there is an error in the connector configuration.

Did you configure the connector correctly?
401 Unauthorized

This error occurs when an authentication credential is invalid or when a user does not have sufficient privileges to access a specific API.

Did you enter your credentials correctly?

Are your credentials expired?

Are your credentials entitled or licensed for that specific resource?
403 Forbidden This error occurs when the permission or scope is not correct in a valid credential.

Did you enter your credentials correctly?

Do you have the required role or permissions for that credential?

404 Not Found This error occurs when a URL path does not resolve to an entity. Did you enter your API URL correctly?
429 Too Many Requests

This error occurs when the API server receives too much traffic or if a user’s license or entitlement quota is exceeded.

The server or user license/quota will eventually recover. The connector will periodically retry the query.

If this occurs unexpectedly or too often, work with your API provider to investigate the server limits, user licensing, or quotas.

For a full list of codes, refer to HTTP response status codes.

Verifying Ingestion

To verify ingestion:

  1. Click Investigate | Threat Hunting. The Interflow Search tab appears.
  2. Change the Indices to Syslog. The table immediately updates to show ingested Interflow records.