Detection Strategy for Email Spoofing

Technique Detected:  Email Spoofing | T1672

ID: DET0431
Domains: Enterprise
Analytics: AN1202, AN1203, AN1204, AN1205
Version: 1.0
Created: 21 October 2025
Last Modified: 21 October 2025

Analytics

AN1202

Monitor email message traces and headers for failed SPF, DKIM, or DMARC checks indicating spoofed sender identities. Correlate abnormal sender domains or mismatched return-paths with elevated spoofing likelihood.

Log Sources
Data Component Name Channel
Application Log Content (DC0038) m365:messagetrace AuthenticationDetails=fail OR SPF=fail OR DKIM=fail OR DMARC=fail
Mutable Elements
Field Description
SpoofScoreThreshold Defines sensitivity to SPF/DKIM/DMARC failures; higher thresholds reduce false positives but may miss stealthier spoofing.
MonitoredDomains Specifies which domains to enforce strict validation against; enterprise-specific tuning may be required.

AN1203

Detects spoofed emails by analyzing mail server logs (e.g., Postfix, Sendmail) for mismatched header fields, failed SPF/DKIM checks, and anomalies in SMTP proxy logs. Defender observes discrepancies between sending domain, return-path domain, and message metadata.

Log Sources
Data Component Name Channel
Application Log Content (DC0038) linux:syslog SPF fail OR DKIM fail OR DMARC fail OR mismatched from_domain vs return_path_domain
Mutable Elements
Field Description
SenderDomainWhitelist Defines approved sender domains to suppress alerts for expected mismatches, reducing false positives.
TimeWindow Sets correlation period for repeated spoofing attempts to flag campaigns vs. isolated misconfigurations.

AN1204

Detects suspicious inbound mail traffic where SPF/DKIM/DMARC authentication fails or where sender and return-path domains mismatch, observable in Apple Mail unified logs or MDM-controlled logging pipelines.

Log Sources
Data Component Name Channel
Application Log Content (DC0038) macos:unifiedlog SPF fail OR DKIM fail OR DMARC fail OR mismatched header vs envelope domains
Mutable Elements
Field Description
RecipientSensitivity Allows tuning based on which users (e.g., executives, finance staff) receive stricter spoofing detection policies.
HeaderMismatchTolerance Defines tolerance for minor discrepancies in domain alignment, balancing detection with usability.

AN1205

Correlates Office 365 or Google Workspace audit logs for spoofed sender addresses, failed email authentication, and anomalies in message delivery metadata. Defender observes failed SPF/DKIM checks and domain mismatches tied to suspicious campaigns.

Log Sources
Data Component Name Channel
Application Log Content (DC0038) saas:email AuthenticationFailures (SPF/DKIM/DMARC) OR Domain Mismatch
Mutable Elements
Field Description
MessageVolumeThreshold Defines thresholds for spoofed messages volume before alerts trigger, reducing noise for isolated misconfigs.
TargetedUserGroups Restricts higher-sensitivity detection to high-value groups (executives, admins, finance) for efficiency.