MISP Deployment

In this project, I successfully deployed and configured the Malware Information Sharing Platform (MISP) on a Ubuntu 18.04 virtual machine. MISP is a powerful open-source threat intelligence platform designed to facilitate the sharing, storing, and correlation of Indicators of Compromise (IOCs).

To extend its capabilities, I also integrated PyMISP, a Python API that allows automation of IOC ingestion and retrieval from the MISP instance. This setup serves as a foundational component for any SOC environment or cybersecurity lab focused on intelligence-driven detection and response

Why MISP?

MISP (Malware Information Sharing Platform) helps cybersecurity teams share structured threat intelligence effectively. It supports integration with SIEMs, IDS/IPS systems, and various log analysis tools. It’s widely used by CERTs, SOC teams, and analysts for malware forensics, attribution, and threat correlation.

Understanding Core MISP Components: Events, Objects, Attributes & Feeds

MISP Events | MISP Attributes | MISP Object Model | OSINT Threat Feeds | Threat Intelligence Data Structure | IOC Management in MISP

What Are MISP Events?

In MISP, an event serves as a central container that groups together logically related indicators of compromise (IOCs) or threat information. These events help analysts represent a complete incident or threat scenario. For example, if a network intrusion detection system (NIDS) identifies suspicious web scanner activity, a MISP event can be created to include all associated data—such as the source IP address, scanned URIs, HTTP methods used, and file hashes involved.

MISP events provide a structured way to group cyber threat data like IP addresses, domains, and malware artifacts for incident analysis and sharing.

What Are MISP Objects?

MISP objects allow for the grouping of related attributes in a more advanced and contextual way. Unlike simple key-value attributes, objects are structured templates based on real-world cybersecurity scenarios. For instance, a file object might include the filename, hash, and MIME type—all packaged together.

Even if other MISP instances don’t yet support the specific object template, they can still ingest and display the attributes within it. This makes objects extremely useful for standardized threat modeling and automation.

MISP objects enhance data context and structure by combining multiple attributes under use-case-driven templates for advanced threat intelligence sharing.

 What Are MISP Attributes?

Attributes in MISP are individual pieces of information that describe a particular indicator of compromise. They can include:

• Network indicators like IP addresses or domain names

• System indicators such as memory strings or file hashes (MD5, SHA1, SHA256)

• Contextual data like URLs, email addresses, or even financial account details

Each attribute is assigned a type (e.g., ip-src, url, filename) and belongs to a category (e.g., Payload Delivery, Network Activity), which defines its operational context.

Furthermore, if the IDS flag is enabled on an attribute, it can be automatically exported for use in intrusion detection systems or threat monitoring platforms. If the flag is disabled, the attribute remains useful for analysis but is not used in active detection.

MISP attributes define granular threat intel elements like hashes, URLs, and IPs—categorized for context and optionally flagged for IDS export.

 What Are MISP Feeds?

MISP supports a wide range of public OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) threat feeds that can be configured out of the box. These feeds act as external sources of threat indicators and enable real-time correlation with your locally stored events and attributes.

Feeds do not need to be fully imported; instead, they can be cached and compared against local data, providing a fast and lightweight way to enhance detection without bloating the database.

Popular examples include the Feodo Tracker IP Blocklist, MalwareBazaar, and ThreatFox, among others.

MISP OSINT feeds enrich threat data by enabling automatic correlation with external indicators from trusted sources—supporting faster threat detection and analysis.