Determining connection source from honeyd.log – cymruwhois version

InfoSanity’s honeyd-geoip.py script has been useful for analysing the initial findings from a HoneyD installation, but one of weaknesses identified in the geolocation database used by the script was that a large proportion of the source IP addresses connecting to the honeypot environment weren’t none within the database. Markus pointed me in the direction of the cymruwhois (discussed previously)python module as an alternative. I’ve re-written the initial script.

Determining connection source from honeyd.log

After getting a working HoneyD environment I wanted to better dig into the information provided by the system. First up was a quick script to get a feel for where the attacks/connections originate from. At first glance I really like the log format that is used by honeyd.log, it is nice an easy to parse. From this I quickly knocked up a python script to parse the honeyd.log file, collect a list of unique source addresses and finally use GeoIP to determine (and count) the county of origin.

Basic HoneyD configuration

After first getting HoneyD up and running previously for a proof of concept I’ve begun a wider implementation of HoneyD to function as the backbone for an upgraded research environment.
HoneyD’s key strength is it’s flexibility, HoneyD’s website contains some sample configuration files that show HoneyD emulating multiple systems running different OSes and applications, a large multi-site network and even a config file to create a honeypot environment for a wireless network. I’ve found these samples immensely useful references for developing custom templates for my own implementation.

Starting with HoneyD

Since reading Virtual Honeypots I’ve been wanting to implement a HoneyD system, developed by Niels Provos. From it’s own site, HoneyD is a small daemon that creates virtual hosts on a network. The hosts can be configured to run arbitrary services, and their personality can be adapted so that they appear to be running certain operating systems. Honeyd enables a single host to claim multiple addresses – I have tested up to 65536 – on a LAN for network simulation. Honeyd improves cyber security by providing mechanisms for threat detection and assessment. It also deters adversaries by hiding real systems in the middle of virtual systems.