Modifying Detections with Rule Filters (Beta)
Modify an existing rule without writing code
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Modify an existing rule without writing code
Last updated
Was this helpful?
In the Panther Console, you can easily tune existing , including , by adding Rule Filters. Because Rule Filters are code-free, they expand who, on your security team, can contribute to detection fidelity. Note that Rule Filters are available only on rules, not scheduled rules nor policies.
Based on a detection's log type, you can select a field to filter on. From there, you will specify the operator and, if applicable, input a value. You can add filters while editing a rule, or directly from an associated alert. This quick tuning from alerts is particularly useful if the alert is a false positive, and you would like similar events in the future to not trigger the rule.
A common use case for filters is to add an allowlist or denylist.
Filter statements are evaluated before a detection's rule function. A filter must return true (i.e., match the event) for the rule function, which is written in code, to then be run.
When multiple filters are included on one rule, they run using AND logic. OR statements are not supported.
If an event does not contain the field the filter is evaluating, the filter will pass. If the field the filter is evaluating has a value of none, the filter will return false on positive comparators or on comparators that don't apply, and true for inverse comparators.
Note that filters are not available during new rule creation. When you export a rule from the Panther Console, filters are not included.
You can add filters to a rule , or .
You can add Rule Filters to a rule directly from an event in an associated alert. This is particularly helpful if you've received a false positive alert, and want to tune the triggered detection so it won't match on similar events in the future.
Log in to the Panther Console.
In the left sidebar, click Alerts.
Locate the alert whose associated rule you'd like to tune, and click its name.
On the alert's detail page, scroll down to the Event section.
The Add Rule Filter panel will open on the righthand side of the window.
In the Add Rule Filter panel, a new filter will be pre-populated in the following way:
Field: defaults to the field on which you clicked the target icon in the event JSON.
Operator: defaults to is not, assuming you would not like to receive alerts for events like this in the future.
Make any desired changes to the filter. All pre-populated fields (i.e., Field, Operator and String) are editable.
(Optional) Add more filters.
Repeat steps 5–7 above to add additional filters.
In the Filters section of the Add Rule Filter panel, previously added filters will be shown in addition to the new one you're adding.
You can continue adding filters to your rule in this fashion, but they are not saved until step 10, when you click Save & Run Test. (You can think of this like an online shopping cart.)
Click Save & Run Test.
This runs all of the target rule's unit tests. If you created a new unit test in step 9, it is also run.
In order for the new filter(s) to be saved, all of the rule's unit tests must pass. If any of the unit tests fail:
In the left-hand navigation bar of your Panther Console, click Build > Detections.
In the list of detections, click a rule's name to view its details page.
In the Filters form, provide values for the Field, Operator, and if applicable, value(s).
Run the unit tests to ensure they pass with the added filter(s).
In the upper-right corner of the page, click Update to save your changes.
If the Rule Filter operator you've selected requires the value field to take in an array (such as the is in operator), you'll input the array values in a modal that pops up when you click into the value field.
To add values to an array:
After selecting a Field and Operator for your Filter, click into the values field.
This will open the array input modal.
In the modal, enter the array value(s) in the input field.
If your input is comma-delimited, check the Values entered above are comma-delimited checkbox.
When this field is checked, the text inputted into the values field will be separated (using a comma delimiter) into multiple values. For example, entering "User 1,User 2,User 3" will result in three values added.
If your input is not comma-delimited, leave Values entered above are comma-delimited unchecked.
Click Add.
Repeat steps 2-3 as needed, until all values have been added to the array.
Click Apply.
If a unit test fails, take the following steps:
Clone the Panther-managed rule.
Add your filter(s) to the cloned rule.
Edit the unit tests for the cloned rule so that they pass.
Refer to the below operators and value types when building out your filters.
is / is not
Valid for a single value. Results include only events where the field matches/ does not match the value in the filter.
string, ip, bool, int
username is “root”
is in / is not in
Valid for multiple values. Results include only events where the field matches/does not match an entry in the list of values in the filter.
string, int
username is in [ “root”, “admin” ]
port is in [25, 553]
is empty
Valid for an event where the field's value is not specified. The operator tests only for the absence of data.
string, int array, ip array, float array, bool array, string array
errors_list is empty
is not empty
Valid for an event where the field's value is specified. The operator tests only for the presence of data.
string, int array, ip array, float array, bool array, string array
errors_list is not empty
contains
Valid for an event that contains a specific single value or multiple values. Results include only events where at least one of the values is in the filter.
string, int array, ip array, bool array, string array
domain contains “.google.com”
p_any_port contains 22
does not contain
Valid for events that contain a specific single value or multiple values. Results include only events that do not contain any of the values in the filter.
string, int array, ip array, bool array, string array
domain !contains “.google.com”
p_any_port !contains 22
starts with
Valid for events that begin with a value.
string
role starts with “admin_”
ends with
Valid for events that end with a value.
string
domain ends with “.cc”
is greater than
Valid for a single value. Results include only events where the field is greater than the value in the filter.
int, float
port > 1023
is less than
Valid for a single value. Results include only events where the field is less than the value in the filter.
int, float
port < 1024
is greater than or equal
Valid for a single value. Results include only events where the field is greater than or equal to the value in the filter.
int
count ≥ 1
is less than or equal
Valid for a single value. Results include only events where the field is less than or equal to the value in the filter.
int
count ≤ 100
is private
Valid for private IPs
IP
dst_ip is_private
is public
Valid for public IPs
IP
src_ip is_public
is in CIDR / is not in CIDR
Valid for addresses within a CIDR (Classless Inter-Domain Routing) block. Results include only events where the field is/is not in the CIDR block in the filter.
IP
src_ip in_cidr 192.168.0.0/16
does not contain IP in CIDR
Valid for an array of IPs that does not contain any IP address within a CIDR block. Results include only events where the field does not contain any IP address within the CIDR block in the filter.
ip array
p_any_ip_address !contains_ip 8.8.0.0/16
p_any_ip_address !contains_ip 1.1.1.1/32
contains IP in CIDR
Valid for an array of IPs containing any IP address within a CIDR block. Results include only events where the field contains at least one IP address within the CIDR block in the filter.
ip array
p_any_ip_address contains_ip 8.8.0.0/16
p_any_ip_address contains_ip 1.1.1.1/32
string
A string value
int
A 32-bit integer number in the range -2147483648, 2147483647
float
A 64-bit floating point number
boolean
A boolean value true / false
array
A JSON array where each element is of the same type
ip
A single valid IPv4 or IPv6 address
CIDR
A classless inter-domain routing block
In the event's JSON, hover over the indicator you'd like the new filter to target, and click the target icon.
String: defaults to the value of the selected field in the event JSON.
At the bottom of the Add Rule Filter panel, click Close (or click outside of the panel).
Locate the Unit Test section near the bottom of the panel. If the rule is not and you'd like to create a new unit test for the rule using the current event, click the checkbox labeled Add the current alert event as a unit test.
The toggle labeled The detection should trigger based on the example event is editable. It defaults to No, as you are likely trying to prevent alerts like this in the future.
If the rule is , this option will be greyed out.
If the rule is not , click View Detection to be taken to the rule's detail page to edit unit tests. From there, you can click Update to save your changes to the rule.
If the rule is , its unit tests are read-only, meaning you can't alter failing tests to make them pass. To be able to add the filter successfully, instead follow the workflow.
In the Detect section, find the Filters tile, and on its right-hand side, click Add New.
If the values(s) field takes in an array, see the instructions below.
When this field is unchecked, you can add values that contain commas one at a time. For example, entering "1,000" will add just one value.
For rules with filters, you currently cannot add or edit unit tests. You cannot save a rule if the unit test does not pass.
