Collect F5 AFM logs

This document explains how to ingest F5 Advanced Firewall Management logs to Google Security Operations using Bindplane. The parser transforms the logs from either SYSLOG and CSV or CSV formats into a Unified Data Model (UDM). It first attempts to parse the log message using grok patterns specific to the SYSLOG format and if unsuccessful, processes it as a CSV file, extracting and mapping fields to the UDM structure.

Before you begin

Make sure you have the following prerequisites:

• Google SecOps instance
• Windows 2016 or later, or a Linux host with systemd
• If running behind a proxy, firewall ports are open
• Privileged access to F5 BIG-IP and F5 Advanced Firewall Management

Get Google SecOps ingestion authentication file

1. Sign in to the Google SecOps console.
2. Go to SIEM Settings > Collection Agents.
3. Download the Ingestion Authentication File. Save the file securely on the system where Bindplane will be installed.

Get Google SecOps customer ID

1. Sign in to the Google SecOps console.
2. Go to SIEM Settings > Profile.
3. Copy and save the Customer ID from the Organization Details section.

Install the Bindplane agent

Install the Bindplane agent on your Windows or Linux operating system according to the following instructions.

Windows installation

1. Open the Command Prompt or PowerShell as an administrator.

2. Run the following command:

   msiexec /i "https://github.com/observIQ/bindplane-agent/releases/latest/download/observiq-otel-collector.msi" /quiet
   

Linux installation

1. Open a terminal with root or sudo privileges.

2. Run the following command:

   sudo sh -c "$(curl -fsSlL https://github.com/observiq/bindplane-agent/releases/latest/download/install_unix.sh)" install_unix.sh
   

Additional installation resources

For additional installation options, consult the installation guide.

Configure the Bindplane Agent to ingest Syslog and send to Google SecOps

1. Access the configuration file:
   • Locate the config.yaml file. Typically, it's in the /etc/bindplane-agent/ directory on Linux or in the installation directory on Windows.
   • Open the file using a text editor (for example, nano, vi, or Notepad).

2. Edit the config.yaml file as follows:

   receivers:
       tcplog:
           # Replace the port and IP address as required
           listen_address: "0.0.0.0:5145"
   
   exporters:
       chronicle/chronicle_w_labels:
           compression: gzip
           # Adjust the path to the credentials file you downloaded in Step 1
           creds_file_path: '/path/to/ingestion-authentication-file.json'
           # Replace with your actual customer ID from Step 2
           customer_id: <customer_id>
           endpoint: malachiteingestion-pa.googleapis.com
           # Add optional ingestion labels for better organization
           ingestion_labels:
               log_type: 'F5_AFM'
               raw_log_field: body
   
   service:
       pipelines:
           logs/source0__chronicle_w_labels-0:
               receivers:
                   - tcplog
               exporters:
                   - chronicle/chronicle_w_labels
   

   • Replace the port and IP address as required in your infrastructure.
   • Replace <customer_id> with the actual Customer ID.
   • Update /path/to/ingestion-authentication-file.json to the path where the authentication file was saved in the Get Google SecOps ingestion authentication file section.

Restart the Bindplane agent to apply the changes

• To restart the Bindplane agent in Linux, run the following command:

  sudo systemctl restart bindplane-agent
  

• To restart the Bindplane agent in Windows, you can either use the Services console or enter the following command:

  net stop BindPlaneAgent && net start BindPlaneAgent
  

Enable F5 BIG-IP Advanced Firewall Manager

1. Sign in to the BIG-IP appliance management console.
2. Go to System > License.
3. Verify that the Advanced Firewall Manager is licensed and enabled.
4. To enable the Advanced Firewall Manager, go to System > Resource > Provisioning.
5. Select the checkbox From the Provisioning column and select Nominal from the list.
6. Click Submit.

Configure Logging Pool in F5 AFM

1. Go to Local Traffic > Pools.
2. Click Create.
3. Provide the following configuration details:
   • Name: Enter a name for the logging pool (for example, logging_pool).
   • Health Monitor: In the Available list, select TCP and click <<.
4. In the Resource tab, select the Logging Pool you created earlier from the Node Name list.
5. In the Address field, enter the Bindplane agent IP address.
6. In the Service Port field, enter 5145 or other port as you defined in the Bindplane agent.
7. Click Add.
8. Click Finish.

Configure the formatted log destination in F5 AFM

1. Go to System > Logs > Configuration > Log Destinations.
2. Click Create.
3. Provide the following configuration details:
   • Name: Enter a name for the logging format destination (for example, Logging_Format_Destination).
   • Description: Enter a description.
   • Type: Select Remote Syslog.
   • Syslog Format: Select Syslog.
   • High-Speed Log Destination: Select your high-speed logging destination (for example, Logging_HSL_Destination).
4. Click Finished.

Configure Log Publisher in F5 AFM

1. Go to System > Logs > Configuration > Log Publishers.
2. Click Create.
3. Provide the following configuration details:
   • Name: Enter a name for the publisher (for example, Log_Publisher).
   • Description: Enter a description.
   • Destinations: Select the log destination name that you created in the Configure Logging Pool in F5 AFM step and click << to add items to the Selected list.

Configure Logging Profile in F5 AFM

1. Go to Security > Event Logs > Logging Profile.
2. Click Create.
3. Provide the following configuration details:
   • Name: Enter a name for the log profile (for example, Logging_Profile).
   • Network Firewall: Select the Enabled checkbox.
   • Publisher: Select the log publisher that you configured earlier (for example, Log_Publisher).
   • Log Rule Matches: Select the Accept, Drop, and Reject checkboxes.
   • Log IP Errors: Select the Enabled checkbox.
   • Log TCP Errors: Select the Enabled checkbox.
   • Log TCP Events: Select the Enabled checkbox.
   • Storage Format: Select Field-List.
   • Delimiter: Enter , (comma) as the delimiter for events.
   • Storage Options: Select all of the options in the Available Items list and click <<.
   • In the IP Intelligence tab, select the log publisher that you configured (for example, Log_Publisher).
4. Click Finished.

Configure Virtual Server Profile Association in F5 AFM

1. Go to Local Traffic > Virtual Servers.
2. Select the virtual server to modify.
3. Go to the Security tab > Policies.
4. From the Log Profile list, select Enabled.
5. From the Profile field, select Logging_Profile and click <<.
6. Click Update.

UDM mapping table

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