Collect F5 AFM logs

Supported in:

This document explains how to ingest F5 Advanced Firewall Management (AFM) logs to Google Security Operations using the Bindplane agent.

F5 BIG-IP AFM is a network firewall module that generates syslog messages for firewall rule actions (accept, drop, reject), IP intelligence events, and TCP errors. The parser extracts fields from CSV-formatted or syslog-formatted logs and maps them to the Unified Data Model (UDM).

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 F5 BIG-IP appliance
  • If running behind a proxy, ensure firewall ports are open per the Bindplane agent requirements
  • 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.

  4. Save the file securely on the system where the Bindplane agent 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 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

  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 Bindplane agent to ingest syslog and send to Google SecOps

Locate the configuration file

  • Linux:

    sudo nano /etc/bindplane-agent/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:
    tcplog:
        listen_address: "0.0.0.0:5145"

exporters:
    chronicle/f5_afm:
        compression: gzip
        creds_file_path: '/etc/bindplane-agent/ingestion-auth.json'
        customer_id: '<customer_id>'
        endpoint: malachiteingestion-pa.googleapis.com
        log_type: F5_AFM
        raw_log_field: body

service:
    pipelines:
        logs/f5_afm_to_chronicle:
            receivers:
                - tcplog
            exporters:
                - chronicle/f5_afm

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 5145 is used for F5 AFM high-speed logging (adjust to match your F5 configuration)

  • 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"

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

Log field UDM mapping Logic
acl_policy_name security_result.detection_fields.acl_policy_name Value of column22 if the log format is SYSLOG, else value of column13
acl_policy_type security_result.detection_fields.acl_policy_type Value of column21 if the log format is SYSLOG, else value of column18
acl_rule_name security_result.rule_name Value of column23 if the log format is SYSLOG, else value of column11
acl_rule_uuid security_result.rule_id Value of acl_rule_uuid field from the grok pattern
action security_result.action If value of column25 is Drop, Reject or Block then BLOCK, else if value of column25 is Accept, Accept decisively, Established or Allow then ALLOW
attackID security_result.detection_fields.attackID Value of column12 if the log format is CSV with no src_ip
bigip_hostname intermediary.hostname Value of column2 if the log format is SYSLOG, else value of column3
bigip_ip intermediary.ip Value of column2 if the log format is SYSLOG, else value of column1
context_name additional.fields.context_name.string_value Value of column4 if the log format is SYSLOG, else value of column10 if there is src_ip, else value of column5
context_type additional.fields.context_type.string_value Value of column3 if the log format is SYSLOG, else value of column4 if there is src_ip, else value of column4
dest_fqdn additional.fields.dest_fqdn.string_value Value of column7 if the log format is SYSLOG, else value of column13
dest_geo additional.fields.dest_geo.string_value Value of column14
dest_ip target.asset.ip, target.ip Value of column8 if the log format is SYSLOG, else value of column6 if there is src_ip, else value of column6
dest_port target.port Value of column10 if the log format is SYSLOG, else value of column8 if there is src_ip, else value of column8
drop_reason security_result.summary Value of column26 if the log format is SYSLOG, else value of column19
eventId additional.fields.eventId.string_value Value captured in the grok pattern
flow_id additional.fields.flow_id.string_value Value of column29 if the log format is SYSLOG, else value of column17
loglevel security_result.severity If value of loglevel field from the grok pattern is warning,debug or notice then MEDIUM, else if value is info or informational then INFORMATIONAL, else if value is err or error then HIGH, else if value is alert, crit or emer then CRITICAL
packetsReceived network.received_packets Value of column15 if the log format is CSV with no src_ip
process target.application Value of process field from the grok pattern
protocol_number_src network.ip_protocol Value of column12 if the log format is SYSLOG, else value extracted from the ip_protocol_out variable
route_domain additional.fields.route_domain.string_value Value of column13 if the log format is SYSLOG, else value of column9
source_fqdn additional.fields.source_fqdn.string_value Value of column5 if the log format is SYSLOG, else value of column7
src_geo additional.fields.src_geo.string_value Value of column8
src_ip principal.asset.ip, principal.ip Value of column6 if the log format is SYSLOG, else value of column9 if the log format is CSV with no src_ip, else value of column5
src_port principal.port Value of column9 if the log format is SYSLOG, else value of column7 if the log format is CSV with no src_ip, else value of column7
ts metadata.event_timestamp Value of ts field from the grok pattern
vlan additional.fields.vlan.string_value Value of column11 if the log format is SYSLOG, else value of column21
metadata.event_type If src_ip and dest_ip exist then NETWORK_CONNECTION, else if only src_ip exists then STATUS_UPDATE, else GENERIC_EVENT
metadata.log_type F5_AFM
metadata.product_name Advanced Firewall Management
metadata.vendor_name F5

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