TOP 23

WIRESHARK
FILTERS
for Threat Detection

Rajneesh Gupta
@rajneeshcyber
 WHAT IS
WIRESHARK?
Wireshark is a widely-used open-source network protocol
analyzer.

Purpose
It captures and analyzes network traffic in real-time, helping
in troubleshooting, security analysis, and network
optimization.

Key Features:
Deep inspection of hundreds of protocols.
Live traffic capture and offline analysis.
Ability to decrypt many protocols, including SSL/TLS.

www.haxsecurity.com
 WHY USE
WIRESHARK?
Network Troubleshooting: Identify network issues,
bottlenecks, and performance problems.
Security Analysis: Detect malicious activities, such as
malware, DDoS attacks, and suspicious traffic.
Protocol Development: Assist developers in debugging
protocol implementations.
Real-Time Monitoring: Monitor network data in real-time
for quick response to anomalies.

www.haxsecurity.com
 WIRESHARK
FILTERS
What are Filters?
Filters in Wireshark help narrow down specific traffic of
interest from a large dataset.

Types of Filters:
Capture Filters: Applied during data capture, limiting the
data being captured.
Display Filters: Applied after capturing data, allowing
for in-depth analysis of specific traffic.

Common Display Filter Examples:

IP Filter: ip.addr == 192.168.1.1 (Shows traffic to/from a
specific IP address)
Port Filter: tcp.port == 80 (Shows traffic on a specific
port, like HTTP)
Protocol Filter: http (Displays HTTP protocol traffic)

www.haxsecurity.com
 TOP 23
WIRESHARK
FILTERS

www.haxsecurity.com
 1
HTTP GET FLOODING

How does the threat work?

Attackers generate a high volume of HTTP GET requests,
overloading the server's capacity, causing denial of service.

Display filter

http.request.method == "GET"

How to detect?
Open Wireshark, navigate to the filter bar, and enter the above-
mentioned display filter.
Check the HTTP headers for an abnormal number of requests
from the same source IP.
If the source IP varies, investigate suspicious patterns in user-
agent strings.

www.haxsecurity.com
 2
DNS TUNNELING

How does the threat work?

DNS queries are manipulated to transmit data, bypassing
firewalls and performing covert data exfiltration.

Display filter

dns

How to detect?
Open Wireshark, navigate to the filter bar, and enter the above-
mentioned display filter.
Inspect the DNS query field for abnormal payload sizes or
repeated requests.
For high-frequency DNS queries from one source, analyze the
DNS response time for unusual delays.

www.haxsecurity.com
 3
SMB BRUTE FORCE

How does the threat work?

Multiple login attempts are made via the SMB protocol,
trying to guess valid credentials through repetitive trials.

Display filter

smb.cmd == 0x73

How to detect?
Open Wireshark, navigate to the filter bar, and enter the above-
mentioned display filter.
Check the SMB headers for failed login attempts in the status
code field.
If the attack includes successful logins, monitor SMB command
response times.

www.haxsecurity.com
 4
SYN FLOOD ATTACK

How does the threat work?

Attackers flood the target server with SYN packets without
completing the TCP handshake, exhausting server
resources.

Display filter

tcp.flags.syn == 1 && tcp.flags.ack == 0

How to detect?
Open Wireshark, navigate to the filter bar, and enter the above-
mentioned display filter.
Review the TCP headers and check if there’s a high volume of
SYN packets without corresponding ACKs.
If there are some ACK responses, look for unusually delayed
ACKs or connection resets.

www.haxsecurity.com
 5
DNS AMPLIFICATION

How does the threat work?

Attackers use a small request to trigger large DNS
responses, reflecting traffic back to the target and
overwhelming it.

Display filter

dns.qry.name

How to detect?
Open Wireshark, navigate to the filter bar, and enter the above-
mentioned display filter.
Check the DNS response section for large-sized responses and
unexpected source addresses.
If response sizes seem normal, look at the TTL field for
unusually low values.

www.haxsecurity.com
 6
ICMP FLOODING (PING OF
DEATH)
How does the threat work?
The attacker sends numerous ICMP requests (pings) to
overload a device, consuming bandwidth and resources.

Display filter

icmp

How to detect?
Open Wireshark, navigate to the filter bar, and enter the above-
mentioned display filter.
Review the ICMP headers for a high frequency of Echo Request
packets from a single source.
If packet sizes are unusual, inspect for ICMP packets larger than
the standard 64 bytes.

www.haxsecurity.com
 7
ARP SPOOFING

How does the threat work?

An attacker sends falsified ARP messages, leading devices
to link wrong MAC addresses with IP addresses.

Display filter

arp.duplicate-address-frame

How to detect?
Open Wireshark, navigate to the filter bar, and enter the above-
mentioned display filter.
Inspect the ARP header for mismatches between IP and MAC
addresses.
If there are no clear mismatches, check for ARP requests with
identical source IPs but different MAC addresses.

www.haxsecurity.com
 8
DNS POISONING

How does the threat work?

DNS responses are altered or forged to redirect users to
malicious websites instead of legitimate ones.

Display filter

dns.flags.rcode != 0

How to detect?
Open Wireshark, navigate to the filter bar, and enter the above-
mentioned display filter.
Analyze DNS response headers for mismatched IP addresses or
altered TTL values.
If there’s no direct mismatch, check the response time field for
unexpected delays.

www.haxsecurity.com
 9
SUSPICIOUS HTTP USER-
AGENT
How does the threat work?
Attackers may use irregular User-Agent strings to mask
their identity or avoid detection during attacks.

Display filter

http.user_agent

How to detect?
Open Wireshark, navigate to the filter bar, and enter the above-
mentioned display filter.
Examine the HTTP headers for unusual or malformed User-
Agent strings.
If the User-Agent is not obviously suspicious, correlate requests
with known malicious IP addresses.

www.haxsecurity.com
 10
FTP PLAINTEXT
AUTHENTICATION
How does the threat work?
FTP transmits login credentials in plaintext, making them
vulnerable to interception by attackers.

Display filter

ftp.request.command == "USER"

How to detect?
Open Wireshark, navigate to the filter bar, and enter the above-
mentioned display filter.
Review FTP request headers for visible usernames and
passwords.
If no clear credentials are visible, inspect packet payloads for
plaintext data in the FTP stream.

www.haxsecurity.com
 11
BRUTE FORCE LOGIN (SSH)

How does the threat work?

Attackers repeatedly attempt to guess valid SSH
credentials, exploiting weak or default passwords.

Display filter

ssh

How to detect?
Open Wireshark, navigate to the filter bar, and enter the above-
mentioned display filter.
Look for repetitive login attempts in the SSH connection
handshake fields.
If there are fewer attempts, analyze the session duration for
failed vs successful logins.

www.haxsecurity.com
 12
DHCP STARVATION ATTACK

How does the threat work?

Attackers request multiple DHCP leases, depleting available
IP addresses to prevent legitimate network access.

Display filter

dhcp

How to detect?
Open Wireshark, navigate to the filter bar, and enter the above-
mentioned display filter.
Analyze the DHCP transaction ID for a high number of requests
without corresponding DHCP Offers.
If offers are present, check for quick lease time expiration in the
DHCP header.

www.haxsecurity.com
 13
SUSPICIOUS TLS
CERTIFICATE
How does the threat work?
Attackers use invalid or self-signed TLS certificates to
compromise encrypted communications.

Display filter

ssl.handshake.type == 11

How to detect?
Open Wireshark, navigate to the filter bar, and enter the above-
mentioned display filter.
Review the SSL handshake header for certificates signed by
unknown authorities.
If the certificate seems valid, verify the encryption protocol used
for downgrade attempts.

www.haxsecurity.com
 14
TELNET CLEARTEXT
TRANSMISSION
How does the threat work?
Telnet transmits all data, including passwords, in plaintext,
making it easily interceptable by attackers.

Display filter

telnet

How to detect?
Open Wireshark, navigate to the filter bar, and enter the above-
mentioned display filter.
Check for visible login credentials in the Telnet data fields.
If no credentials are visible, inspect for suspicious command
execution strings in the payload.

www.haxsecurity.com
 15
UNAUTHORIZED RDP
ACCESS
How does the threat work?
Attackers attempt unauthorized access to a system via
Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) to take control of the system.

Display filter

tcp.port == 3389

How to detect?
Open Wireshark, navigate to the filter bar, and enter the above-
mentioned display filter.
Inspect RDP header fields for repeated connection attempts
from the same IP.
If the source IP changes, review session IDs for abnormal
session initiation patterns.

www.haxsecurity.com
 16
PORT SCANNING

How does the threat work?

Attackers scan for open ports on a system to find
vulnerabilities and identify services to exploit.

Display filter

tcp.flags.syn == 1 && tcp.flags.ack == 0

How to detect?
Open Wireshark, navigate to the filter bar, and enter the above-
mentioned display filter.
Review the TCP flags in headers for SYN packets across
different ports.
If SYN-ACK responses are present, inspect for suspicious
response delays or resets.

www.haxsecurity.com
 17
SMTP EXFILTRATION

How does the threat work?

Sensitive information is extracted from a network by sending
it out via email using the SMTP protocol.

Display filter

smtp

How to detect?
Open Wireshark, navigate to the filter bar, and enter the above-
mentioned display filter.
Review SMTP headers for large or abnormal email attachments.
If attachment size seems normal, inspect destination domains
for unauthorized or unknown email addresses.

www.haxsecurity.com
 18
ROGUE DHCP SERVER

How does the threat work?

A rogue DHCP server assigns unauthorized IP addresses,
redirecting network traffic or causing denial of service.

Display filter

dhcp

How to detect?
Open Wireshark, navigate to the filter bar, and enter the above-
mentioned display filter.
Review the DHCP Offer packets and compare the DHCP server
IP address to authorized DHCP servers.
If server IPs match, check for abnormal lease durations or lease
renewals in the DHCP headers.

www.haxsecurity.com
 19
SQL INJECTION ATTACK

How does the threat work?

Malicious SQL code is injected into vulnerable input fields,
granting attackers unauthorized access to the database.

Display filter

http.request.uri contains "SELECT"

How to detect?
Open Wireshark, navigate to the filter bar, and enter the above-
mentioned display filter.
Review HTTP request URIs for SQL commands like SELECT,
DROP, or INSERT within the URL or payload.
If no SQL commands are found, inspect HTTP headers for error
responses that could indicate failed injection attempts.

www.haxsecurity.com
 20
VOIP EAVESDROPPING (SIP)

How does the threat work?

Attackers intercept Voice over IP (VoIP) traffic, allowing them
to listen in on private conversations.

Display filter

sip

How to detect?
Open Wireshark, navigate to the filter bar, and enter the above-
mentioned display filter.
Check the SIP headers for unauthorized call setups or unknown
user IDs initiating the call.
If calls seem normal, analyze the RTP streams for abnormal
traffic patterns or packet loss

www.haxsecurity.com
 21
MALWARE COMMAND &
CONTROL TRAFFIC
How does the threat work?
Malware communicates with a Command & Control (C2)
server to receive instructions for further malicious activity.

Display filter

http contains "cmd.exe"

How to detect?
Open Wireshark, navigate to the filter bar, and enter the above-
mentioned display filter.
Review the HTTP request payloads for command execution
instructions such as cmd.exe.
If no commands are found, check for suspicious external server
connections, especially to uncommon IPs.

www.haxsecurity.com
 22
SSL DOWNGRADE ATTACK

How does the threat work?

Attackers force the use of weaker SSL/TLS encryption
protocols, reducing security and allowing for interception or
decryption.

Display filter

ssl.record.version < 0x0303

How to detect?
Open Wireshark, navigate to the filter bar, and enter the above-
mentioned display filter.
Check the SSL/TLS handshake headers for negotiation with
older protocol versions like SSL 2.0 or 3.0.
If SSL/TLS versions are acceptable, inspect certificate chains for
self-signed or expired certificates.

www.haxsecurity.com
 23
SUSPICIOUS HTTP POST
REQUESTS
How does the threat work?
Attackers use HTTP POST requests to upload files or send
data to a server, which may be used for data exfiltration or
malicious uploads.

Display filter

http.request.method == "POST"

How to detect?
Open Wireshark, navigate to the filter bar, and enter the above-
mentioned display filter.
Review HTTP headers for POST requests with unusually large
payloads or requests to unknown IP addresses.
If payload sizes are small, inspect the content of the POST body
for base64-encoded or binary data.

www.haxsecurity.com
 CONCLUSION
In conclusion, using Wireshark with targeted filters
allows for effective threat detection and network
security monitoring.
Flexible tool: Wireshark adapts to various threats.
Real-time detection: Spot suspicious traffic
instantly.
Layered insight: Analyze threats across multiple
layers.
Proactive defense: Identify attacks early to
prevent damage.
Customizable filters: Tailor filters to reduce false
positives.
Continuous updates: Stay prepared with regular
Wireshark improvements.
Reach us at
hi@haxsecurity.com

Security Consulting Penetration testing

Risk assessment Internal Pentest

Security Architecture External Pentest
SOC Set up Web App Pentest

Training and Courses Labs

Hands-on Labs
SOC Training
Career Path Labs
Certification Training
Cyberrange for
Vendor-specific
businesses
learning