title: Application Layer Protocol (T1071)
id: df00tech-t1071
status: experimental
description: "Adversaries may communicate using OSI application layer protocols to avoid detection/network filtering by blending in with existing traffic. Commands to the remote system, and often the results of those commands, will be embedded within the protocol traffic between the client and server. Adversaries may utilize many different protocols, including those used for web browsing, transferring files, electronic mail, DNS, or publishing/subscribing. For connections that occur internally within an enclave (such as those between a proxy or pivot node and other nodes), commonly used protocols are SMB, SSH, or RDP."
references:
  - https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1071/
  - https://df00tech.com/detections/T1071
author: df00tech
date: 2026/04/13
tags:
  - attack.t1071
# NOTE: logsource is auto-derived and may need adjustment for your environment
logsource:
  category: network_connection
  product: windows
detection:
  # This detection logic could not be auto-translated; see the KQL/SPL query on df00tech.
  selection:
    EventID: '*'
  condition: selection
falsepositives:
  - "Legitimate software performing periodic update checks (Windows Update, antivirus definitions, NTP)"
  - Monitoring and heartbeat agents that maintain persistent connections to cloud management platforms
  - "Chat and collaboration applications (Slack, Teams, Zoom) with long-lived WebSocket or polling connections"
  - IoT devices communicating via MQTT to cloud brokers on regular intervals
level: medium