Collect vsftpd logs

This document explains how to ingest vsftpd logs to Google Security Operations using the Bindplane agent.

vsftpd (Very Secure FTP Daemon) is an FTP server that generates syslog messages for FTP connections, file transfers, authentication events, and session activity.

Before you begin

Make sure you have the following prerequisites:

• A Google SecOps instance
• Windows Server 2016 or later, or Linux host with systemd
• Network connectivity between the Bindplane agent and the vsftpd server
• If running behind a proxy, ensure firewall ports are open per the Bindplane agent requirements
• Root or sudo access to the vsftpd server

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.

4. 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 IDfrom the Organization Detailssection.

Install the Bindplane agent

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

Windows installation

1. Open Command Promptor PowerShellas an administrator.

2. Run the following command:

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

3. Wait for the installation to complete.

4. Verify the installation by running:

    sc query observiq-otel-collector 
   

   The service should show as RUNNING.

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 
   

3. Wait for the installation to complete.

4. Verify the installation by running:

    sudo  
   systemctl  
   status  
   observiq-otel-collector 
   

   The service should show as active (running).

Additional installation resources

For additional installation options and troubleshooting, see the Bindplane agent installation guide .

Configure the Bindplane agent to ingest syslog and send to Google SecOps

Locate the configuration file

• Linux:

   sudo  
  nano  
  /opt/observiq-otel-collector/config.yaml 
  

• Windows:

   notepad "C:\Program Files\observIQ OpenTelemetry Collector\config.yaml" 
  

Edit the configuration file

• Replace the entire contents of config.yaml with the following configuration:

    receivers 
   : 
    
   udplog 
   : 
    
   listen_address 
   : 
    
   "0.0.0.0:514" 
   exporters 
   : 
    
   chronicle/vsftpd 
   : 
    
   compression 
   : 
    
   gzip 
    
   creds_file_path 
   : 
    
   '/etc/bindplane-agent/ingestion-auth.json' 
    
   customer_id 
   : 
    
   '<customer_id>' 
    
   endpoint 
   : 
    
   malachiteingestion-pa.googleapis.com 
    
   log_type 
   : 
    
   VSFTPD 
    
   raw_log_field 
   : 
    
   body 
   service 
   : 
    
   pipelines 
   : 
    
   logs/vsftpd_to_chronicle 
   : 
    
   receivers 
   : 
    
   - 
    
   udplog 
    
   exporters 
   : 
    
   - 
    
   chronicle/vsftpd 
   
  

Configuration parameters

Replace the following placeholders:

• Receiver configuration:

  • listen_address : IP address and port to listen on:
    • 0.0.0.0 to listen on all interfaces (recommended)
    • Port 514 is the standard syslog port (requires root on Linux; use 1514 for non-root)

• Exporter configuration:

  • creds_file_path : Full path to ingestion authentication file:
    • Linux: /etc/bindplane-agent/ingestion-auth.json
    • Windows: C:\Program Files\observIQ OpenTelemetry Collector\ingestion-auth.json
  • customer_id : Customer ID copied from the Google SecOps console
  • endpoint : Regional endpoint URL:
    • US: malachiteingestion-pa.googleapis.com
    • Europe: europe-malachiteingestion-pa.googleapis.com
    • Asia: asia-southeast1-malachiteingestion-pa.googleapis.com
    • See Regional Endpoints for complete list

Save the configuration file

• After editing, save the file:
  • Linux: Press Ctrl+O , then Enter , then Ctrl+X
  • Windows: Click File > Save

Restart the Bindplane agent to apply the changes

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

   sudo  
  systemctl  
  restart  
  observiq-otel-collector 
  

  1. Verify the service is running:

      sudo  
     systemctl  
     status  
     observiq-otel-collector 
     

  2. Check logs for errors:

      sudo  
     journalctl  
     -u  
     observiq-otel-collector  
     -f 
     

• To restart the Bindplane agent in Windows, choose one of the following options:

  • Command Prompt or PowerShell as administrator:

     net stop observiq-otel-collector && net start observiq-otel-collector 
    

  • Services console:

    1. Press Win+R , type services.msc , and press Enter.
    2. Locate observIQ OpenTelemetry Collector.
    3. Right-click and select Restart.

    4. Verify the service is running:

        sc query observiq-otel-collector 
       

    5. Check logs for errors:

         type 
         
        "C:\Program Files\observIQ OpenTelemetry Collector\log\collector.log" 
        
       

Configure syslog forwarding for vsftpd

1. Edit the vsftpd configuration file:

    sudo  
   nano  
   /etc/vsftpd.conf 
   

2. Set the following parameters:

    syslog_enable=YES
   log_ftp_protocol=YES 
   

3. Configure rsyslog to forward vsftpd logs. Edit /etc/rsyslog.conf or create a new file /etc/rsyslog.d/vsftpd.conf :

    sudo  
   nano  
   /etc/rsyslog.d/vsftpd.conf 
   

4. Add the following forwarding rule (replace <bindplane-ip> with your Bindplane agent IP address):

    if $programname == 'vsftpd' then @<bindplane-ip>:514 
   

5. Restart vsftpd and rsyslog to apply the changes:

    sudo  
   systemctl  
   restart  
   vsftpd
   sudo  
   systemctl  
   restart  
   rsyslog 
   

UDM mapping table

Log Field	UDM Mapping	Logic
certificate	security_result.detection_fields.key : "cert" security_result.detection_fields.value : value of certificate	The value of the certificate field is mapped to a security_result.detection_fields object with the key "cert".
cipher	network.tls.cipher	The value of the cipher field is directly mapped.
client_ip	principal.ip	The value of the client_ip field is directly mapped.
date	metadata.event_timestamp	Used with month , year , and time to construct the metadata.event_timestamp . The format is derived from the timestamp field in the raw log, parsed, and converted to a timestamp object.
day	metadata.event_timestamp	Used with month , year , and time to construct the metadata.event_timestamp .
desc	metadata.description	The value of the desc field (extracted from the type field) is directly mapped. This applies to "MKDIR", "RMDIR", and "DELETE" operations.
description	network.ftp.command security_result.description target.file.full_path	If type is "FTP command", the value is mapped to network.ftp.command . If type is "DEBUG" and doesn't match specific SSL patterns, it's mapped to security_result.description . If type starts with "OK" and is not "OK LOGIN", and the log describes a file operation (MKDIR, RMDIR, DELETE), it's mapped to target.file.full_path .
file_name	target.file.full_path	The value of the file_name field is directly mapped.
file_size	network.received_bytes network.sent_bytes	If type is "OK DOWNLOAD" or "FAIL DOWNLOAD", the value is converted to an unsigned integer and mapped to network.received_bytes . If type is "OK UPLOAD" or "FAIL UPLOAD", the value is converted to an unsigned integer and mapped to network.sent_bytes . Set to "USER_LOGIN" if type is "OK LOGIN". Set to "FILE_UNCATEGORIZED" if type is related to file operations ("OK UPLOAD", "OK DOWNLOAD", "FAIL DOWNLOAD", "OK MKDIR", "OK RMDIR", "OK DELETE", "FAIL UPLOAD"). Set to "STATUS_UPDATE" for all other type values. Always set to "VSFTPD". Always set to "VSFTPD". Always set to "VSFTPD".
month	metadata.event_timestamp	Used with day , year , and time to construct the metadata.event_timestamp .
pid	principal.process.pid	The value of the pid field is directly mapped.
response_code	network.http.response_code	The value of the response_code field is converted to an integer and mapped.
reused_status	security_result.detection_fields.key : "reused status" security_result.detection_fields.value : value of reused_status	The value of the reused_status field is mapped to a security_result.detection_fields object with the key "reused status".
speed	additional.fields.key : "download_speed" or "upload_speed" additional.fields.value.string_value : value of speed	If type is "OK DOWNLOAD" or "FAIL DOWNLOAD", the value is mapped to additional.fields with the key "download_speed". If type is "OK UPLOAD" or "FAIL UPLOAD", the value is mapped to additional.fields with the key "upload_speed".
ssl_shutdown_state	security_result.detection_fields.key : "SSL Shutdown State" security_result.detection_fields.value : value of ssl_shutdown_state	The value of the ssl_shutdown_state field is mapped to a security_result.detection_fields object with the key "SSL Shutdown State".
ssl_version	network.tls.version	The value of the ssl_version field is directly mapped.
time	metadata.event_timestamp	Used with day , month , and year to construct the metadata.event_timestamp .
type	metadata.description security_result.action_details	The value of the type field is mapped to metadata.description except when it's "OK LOGIN". It is also mapped to security_result.action_details when it indicates an allow or block action (starts with "OK" or "FAIL").
userid	principal.user.userid target.user.userid	If type is "OK LOGIN", the value is mapped to target.user.userid . Otherwise, it's mapped to principal.user.userid .
year	metadata.event_timestamp	Used with day , month , and time to construct the metadata.event_timestamp . Set to "NETWORK" if type is "OK LOGIN". Set to "MACHINE" if type is "OK LOGIN". Set to "ALLOW" if type starts with "OK". Set to "BLOCK" if type starts with "FAIL".

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