Chapter 21 – Sandbox Inspection
Sandbox Inspection
This guide explains how to set up sandbox inspection using FortiSandbox with a FortiGate. It contains the following sections:
- An Overview of Sandbox Inspection: General information about how sandbox inspection works.
- Using FortiSandbox with a FortiGate: How to set up sandbox inspection on a FortiGate.
- Sandbox Integration: Integrating sandbox inspection with FortiGate, FortiSandbox, and FortiClient.
- Sandbox Inspection FAQ: Frequently asked questions to help troubleshoot sandbox inspection.
An Overview of Sandbox Inspection
This section contains information about how Fortinet sandbox inspection works.The following topics are included in this section:
- What is Sandbox Inspection?
- Sending Files for Sandbox Inspection
- FortiSandbox Appliance vs FortiSandbox Cloud
What is Sandbox Inspection?
Sandbox inspection is a network process that allows files to be sent to a seperate device, such as FortiSandbox, to be inspected without risking network security. This allows the detection of threats which may bypass other security measures, including zero-day threats.
When a FortiGate uses sandbox inspection, files are sent to the FortiSandbox. Then the FortiSandbox uses virtual machines (VMs) running different operating systems to test the file, to determine if it is malicious. If the file exhibits risky behavior, or is found to contain a virus, a new signature can be added to the FortiGuard AntiVirus signature database.
Sending Files for Sandbox Inspection
There are three options concerning what type of files can be sent for sandbox inspection: All Files, Suspicious Files, or Executable Files.
All Files is recommended to increase the likelihood of detecting unknown malware, which may appear safe to the FortiGate.
If Suspicious Files is selected, then the FortiGate will examine each file and determine if it should be considered suspicious. A file is deemed suspicious when it does not contain a known threat but has characteristics that suggest it may be malware. The characteristics that determine if a file is suspicious are updated by Fortinet to reflect the current threat climate.
If Executable Files is chosen, all executable files will be sent to FortiSandbox while other file types are not inspected.
FortiSandbox Appliance vs FortiSandbox Cloud
FortiSandbox is available as a physical or virtual appliance (FortiSandbox Appliance), or as a cloud advanced threat protection service integrated with FortiGate (FortiSandbox Cloud). The table below highlights the supported features of both types of FortiSandbox:
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For more information, see the FortiSandbox documentation.
Using FortiSandbox with a FortiGate
This section contains information about how to use sandbox inspection with FortiSandbox and FortiGate. It includes the following sections:
- Connecting a FortiGate to FortiSandbox
- The FortiSandbox Dashboard
Connecting a FortiGate to FortiSandbox
The procedures for connecting a FortiGate to FortiSandbox differ depending whether you are using FortiSandbox Appliance or FortiSandbox Cloud.
Connecting to FortiSandbox Appliance
1. Connect the FortiSandbox Appliance to your FortiGate so that port 1 and port 3 on the FortiSandbox are on different subnets.
FortiSandbox port 3 is used for outgoing communication triggered by the execution of the files under analysis. It is recommended to connect this port to a dedicated inter- face on your FortiGate to protect the rest of the network from threats currently being investigated by the FortiSandbox.
2. FortiSandbox port 3 must be able to connect to the Internet. On the FortiGate, go to Policy & Objects > IPv4
Policy and create a policy allowing connections from the FortiSandbox to the Internet (using the isolated interface on the FortiGate mentioned above).
3. On the FortiSandbox, go to System > Network > Static Routing and add static routes for port 1 and port 3.
4. On the FortiSandbox, go to System > Status and locate the System Information widget. Now that the FortiSandbox has Internet access, it can activate its VM licenses. Wait until a green arrow shows up beside Windows VM before continuing to the next step.
5. On the FortiGate, go to System > External Security Devices. Select Enable Sandbox Inspection and select FortiSandbox Appliance. Set the IP Address and enter a Notifier Email. If you select Test Connectivity, the Status shows as Service is not configured because the FortiGate has not been authorized to connect to the FortiSandbox.
6. On the FortiSandbox, go to File-based Detection > File Input > Device. Edit the entry for the FortiGate. Under Permissions, enable Authorized.
7. On the FortiGate, go to System > External Security Devices and for FortiSandbox select Test Connectivity. The Status now shows that Service is online.
Once the FortiGate is connected to FortiSandbox, an AntiVirus profile can be configured to send suspicious files for inspection. Sandbox integration can also be configured, for more information see “Sandbox Integration” on page 2051.
Connecting to FortiSandbox Cloud
Before you can connect a FortiGate to FortiSandbox Cloud, you need an active FortiCloud account. For more information, see the FortiCloud documentation.
Once you have created a FortiCloud account, sandbox inspection should be enabled by default. To verify this, go to System > External Security Devicesand make sure Enable Sandbox Inspection is selected and set to FortiSandbox Cloud.
To see the results from FortiSandbox Cloud in the FortiGate logs, go to Log & Report > Log Settings and make sure Send Logs to FortiCloud is enabled and GUI Preferences is set to Display Logs from FortiCloud.
Now that the FortiGate is connected to FortiSandbox, an AntiVirus profile can be configured to send suspicious files for inspection. Sandbox integration can also be configured, for more information see “Sandbox Integration” on page 2051.
The FortiSandbox Dashboard
The FortiSandbox dashboard is available from FortiView > FortiSandbox. The dashboard shows all samples submitted for inspection. Information on the dashboard can be filtered by checksum, file name, result, source, status, and user name.
If you right-click on an entry, you can choose to Drill Down to Details, Quarantine Source Address, or Quarantine FortiClient Device.
Information about the FortiSandbox database and sandboxing statistics are also available at System > External Security Devices once sandbox inspection is enabled.
Information can also be found by accessing FortiSandbox. For more information, please refer to the FortiSandbox documentation.
Sandbox Integration
Sandbox integration adds another level to sandbox inspection, allowing you allows you to set up automatic actions to protect your network from files FortiSandbox determines are malicious. These actions include: receiving AntiVirus signature updates from FortiSandbox, adding the originating URL of any malicious file to a blocked URL list, and extending sandbox scanning to FortiClient devices.
This section contains the following topics:
- Overview
- Example Configuration
Overview
FortiSandbox integration involves three different FortiGate security profiles: AntiVirus, Web Filtering, and FortiClient Profiles.
AntiVirus
When FortiSandbox discovers a malicious file, it can create a AntiVirus signature for that file. Through FortiSandbox integration, this signature can be sent to a FortiGate to block the file from re-entering the network and to prevent the future retransmission of that file to FortiSandbox.
Use of the FortiSandbox AntiVirus database is enabled in an AntiVirus profile, found at Security Profiles > AntiVirus. It can also be configured using the following CLI commands:
config antivirus profile edit <profile>
set analytics-db enable
end
Web Filtering
ortiSandbox integration can also be used to allow FortiSandbox to add a URL filter blocking the source of a discovered malicious file to the FortiGate’s blocked URL list.
Blocking malicious URLs discovered by FortiSandbox is enabled in a Web Filter profile, found at Security Profiles > Web Filter. It can also be configured using the following CLI commands:
config webfilter profile edit <profile>
config web
set blacklist enable end
FortiClient Profiles
Extended FortiSandbox scanning is currently only supported by FortiClient 5.4 for Win- dows. It can also only be used with FortiSandbox Appliance.
When extended FortiSandbox scanning is enabled for FortiClient, files downloaded by FortiClient can be sent to the FortiSandbox for inspection. Also, if a suspicious file is discovered, FortiClient can be configured to wait until sandbox inspection is complete before allowing that file to be accessed.
AntiVirus signatures can also be pushed by the FortiGate to FortiClient.
If a FortiClient device attempts to download a file that FortiSandbox discovers is malicious, the FortiSandbox notifies the FortiGate. The administrator can take action to quarantine the device. When a quarantine is in effect, FortiClient cuts off other network traffic from the device directly, preventing it from infecting or scanning the local network. When a device is under quarantine, FortiClient cannot be shutdown or uninstalled. A user is also unable to unregister from the FortiGate that quarantined them, or register to another FortiGate unit. A quarantine can only be lifted by the administrator of the FortiGate where the FortiClient device is registered.
Extending FortiSandbox scanning can by configured in the Security settings of a FortiClient Profile, found at Security Profiles > FortiClient Profiles. It can also be configured using the following CLI commands:
config endpoint-control profile edit <profile>
config forticlient-winmac-settings set scan-download-file enable set sandbox-scan enable
set sandbox-address <address>
set wait-sandbox-result {enable | disable}
set use-sandbox-signature {enable | disable}
end
Extending FortiSandbox scanning can also be configured directly in the FortiClient AntiVirus settings.
Example Configuration
The following example configuration sets up FortiSandbox integration using AntiVirus, Web Filtering, and a FortiClient profile. This configuration assumes that a connection has already been established between the FortiSandbox Appliance and the FortiGate.
1. Go to Security Profiles > AntiVirus and edit the default profile. Under Inspection Options, enable both Send Files to FortiSandbox Appliance for Inspection and Use FortiSandbox Database. Select Apply.
2. Go to Security Profiles > Web Filter and edit the default profile. Under Static URL Filter, enable Block malicious URLS discovered by FortiSandbox. Select Apply.
3. Go to Security Profiles > FortiClient Profiles and edit the default profile. Under AntiVirus, enable Realtime Protection, then enable Scan Downloads, followed by Scan with FortiSandbox. Enter the IP of the FortiSandbox, then enable Use FortiSandbox signatures. Select Apply.
4. Go to Policy & Objects > IPv4 Policy and view the policy list. If a policy has AntiVirus and Web Filtering scanning applied, the profiles will be listed in the Security Profiles column. If scanning needs to be added to any security policy (excluding the Implicit Deny policy) select the + button in the Security Profiles column for that policy, then select the default AntiVirus Profile, the default Web Filter Profile, the appropriate Proxy Options, and the deep–inspection profile for SSL Inspection Options (to ensure that encrypted traffic is inspected).
5. Select OK.
Results
If your FortiGate discovers a suspicious file, it will now be sent to the FortiSandbox. To view information about the files that have been sent on the FortiGate, go to FortiView > FortiSandbox to see a list of file names and current status.
To view results on the FortiSandbox, go to System > Status and view the Scanning Statistics widget. There may be a delay before results appear on the FortiSandbox.
Open FortiClient using a Windows PC on the internal network. Make sure it is registered to your FortiGate. Go to AntiVirus > Realtime Protection Enabled and edit the settings. You will see that the Realtime Protection settings match the FortiClient Profile configured on the FortiGate. These settings cannot be changed using FortiClient.
If a PC running FortiClient downloads a suspicious file that the FortiSandbox determined was malicious, a quarantine would be applied automatically. While the quarantine is in effect, FortiClient cannot be shutdown on the PC. It can not be uninstalled or unregistered from the FortiGate. The quarantine can only be released from the FortiClient Monitor on the FortiGate.
Sandbox Inspection FAQ
The following are some frequently asked questions about using sandbox inspection with FortiSandbox and FortiGate.
Why is the FortiSandbox Cloud option not available when sandbox inspection is enabled?
This option is only available if you have already created a FortiCloud account. For more information, see the FortiCloud documentation.
Why don’t results from FortiSandbox Cloud appear in the FortiGate GUI?
Go to Log & Report > Log Settings and make sure Send Logs to FortiCloud is enabled and GUI Preferences is set to Display Logs from FortiCloud.
Why are the FortiSandbox Appliance VMs inactive?
Make sure that port 3 on the FortiSandbox has an active Internet connection. This is required in order to active the FortiSandbox VMs.
Why aren’t files are being scanned by FortiSandbox?
Make sure an AntiVirus profile that sends files to FortiSandbox is enabled for all policies that require sandbox inspection.
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