7.29. Generic App Layer Keywords

7.29.1. app-layer-protocol

Match on the detected app-layer protocol.

Syntax:

app-layer-protocol:[!]<protocol>;

Examples:

app-layer-protocol:ssh;
app-layer-protocol:!tls;
app-layer-protocol:failed;

A special value 'failed' can be used for matching on flows in which protocol detection failed. This can happen if Suricata doesn't know the protocol or when certain 'bail out' conditions happen.

7.29.1.1. Bail out conditions

Protocol detection gives up in several cases:

  • both sides are inspected and no match was found

  • side A detection failed, side B has no traffic at all (e.g. FTP data channel)

  • side A detection failed, side B has so little data detection is inconclusive

In these last 2 cases the app-layer-event:applayer_proto_detection_skipped is set.

7.29.2. app-layer-event

Match on events generated by the App Layer Parsers and the protocol detection engine.

Syntax:

app-layer-event:<event name>;

Examples:

app-layer-event:applayer_mismatch_protocol_both_directions;
app-layer-event:http.gzip_decompression_failed;

7.29.2.1. Protocol Detection

7.29.2.1.1. applayer_mismatch_protocol_both_directions

The toserver and toclient directions have different protocols. For example a client talking HTTP to a SSH server.

7.29.2.1.2. applayer_wrong_direction_first_data

Some protocol implementations in Suricata have a requirement with regards to the first data direction. The HTTP parser is an example of this.

https://redmine.openinfosecfoundation.org/issues/993

7.29.2.1.3. applayer_detect_protocol_only_one_direction

Protocol detection only succeeded in one direction. For FTP and SMTP this is expected.

7.29.2.1.4. applayer_proto_detection_skipped

Protocol detection was skipped because of Bail out conditions.