Apache NiFi - MiNiFi - C++ C2 Readme.

This readme defines the Command and control configuration options that work with Apache NiFi. All options defined are located in minifi.properties.

Description
Configuration
- Base Options
- Metrics

Description

Apache NiFi MiNiFI C++ can communicates with a C2 Server via a number of protocols. These protocols deliver a C2 response the server, expecting requests in a hearbeat response. The protocol transforms the C2 messages into a protocol specific representation. The internal representation is an AST therefore you must define the root classes, which configure the classes that branch from the root. You can define arbitrary nodes and sub-trees, but this isn't necessary and only advantageous for custom C2 servers. That will be explained in greater detail in the metrics section.

Configuration

Base Options

For more more insight into the API used within the C2 agent, please visit: https://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/display/MINIFI/C2+Design+Proposal

in minifi.properties

# Disable/Enable C2
nifi.c2.enable=true

# specify classes for the AST response
nifi.c2.root.classes=DeviceInfoNode,AgentInformation,FlowInformation

# specify C2 protocol -- default is RESTSender if this is not specified
c2.agent.protocol.class=RESTSender
# may also use MQTT
# c2.agent.protocol.class=MQTTC2Protocol

# control c2 heartbeat interval in millisecocnds
c2.agent.heartbeat.period=3000

# enable reporter classes
c2.agent.heartbeat.reporter.class=RESTReciver

# specify the rest URIs if using RESTSender
c2.rest.url=http://localhost:10080/minifi-c2-api/c2-protocol/heartbeat
c2.rest.url.ack=http://localhost:10080/minifi-c2-api/c2-protocol/acknowledge

# c2 agent identifier
nifi.c2.agent.identifier=<your identifier>

# c2 agent class
nifi.c2.agent.class=<your agent class>

# configure SSL Context service for REST Protocol
c2.rest.ssl.context.service

Metrics

Command and Control metrics can be used to send metrics through the heartbeat or via the DESCRIBE operation. Since responses are formed in an AST, metrics can be formed as a sub tree. Metrics classes are defined apriori and may reference a metrics class specific to a processor. The following example describes a configuration of an agent

# in minifi.properties


nifi.c2.root.class.definitions=metrics
nifi.c2.root.class.definitions.metrics.name=metrics
nifi.c2.root.class.definitions.metrics.metrics=typedmetrics,processorMetrics
nifi.c2.root.class.definitions.metrics.metrics.typedmetrics.name=RuntimeMetrics
nifi.c2.root.class.definitions.metrics.metrics.typedmetrics.classes=ProcessMetrics,SystemInformation
nifi.c2.root.class.definitions.metrics.metrics.processorMetrics.name=ProcessorMetrics
nifi.c2.root.class.definitions.metrics.metrics.processorMetrics.classes=GetFileMetrics

This example shows a metrics sub tree defined by the option ‘nifi.c2.root.class.definitions’.

This is a comma separated list of all sub trees. In the example, above, only one sub tree exists: metrics.

The options below metrics define the sub-trees within metrics: typedmetrics and processorMetrics. Each of these has a name. The classes sub option will define the metrics classes that are placed within this sub-tree. For the RESTProtocol, the above configuration produces the following JSON:

"metrics": {
    "ProcessorMetrics": {
        "GetFileMetrics": {
            "AcceptedFiles": 22,
            "InputBytes": 61755,
            "OnTriggerInvocations": 1
        }
    },
    "RuntimeMetrics": {
        "ProcessMetrics": {
            "CpuMetrics": {
                "involcs": 1
            },
            "MemoryMetrics": {
                "maxrss": 145804
            }
        },
        "systeminfo": {
            "systemInfo": {
                "machinearch": "x86_64",
                "physicalMem": 67361411072,
                "vCores": 12
            },
            "identifier": "identifier"
        }
    }
}

Protocols

The default protocol is a RESTFul service; however, there is an MQTT protocol with a translation to use the RESTFul C2 server. This is useful for cases where an MQTT C2 server isn't available, or enclave partioning requires a single ingress/egress through a gateway. In these classes of devices, MQTT can be used as the intermediate or RESTSender can be used for C2 operations.

As defined, above, MQTTC2Protocol can be used for the agent protocol class. If you wish to communicate with a RESTFul C2 server, you may use the ConvertBase, ConvertHeartBeat, ConvertJSONAack, and ConvertUpdate classes on an agent to perform the transation. State is not kept with an intermediate agent other than the broker. The broker is not embedded with the agent to simplify the agent.

An example configuration, below, defines an agent that receives and forward MQTT C2 requests to a C2 server. Additionally, this agent will forward responses and updates to the heartbeating agents.