Collect FileZilla FTP logs

Supported in:

Google secops SIEM

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

FileZilla is an open-source FTP server and client that generates log files containing connection details, file transfer operations, authentication events, and session activity. The parser extracts fields from log data using grok patterns 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
The Bindplane agent must be installed on the same host as FileZilla (or have access to the FileZilla log file path)
If running behind a proxy, ensure firewall ports are open per the Bindplane agent requirements
Administrative access to the FileZilla application

Get Google SecOps ingestion authentication file

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

Note: This JSON file contains credentials for authenticating the Bindplane agent to Google SecOps.

Get Google SecOps customer ID

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

Note: The customer ID is required for configuring the Bindplane agent exporter.

Install the Bindplane agent

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

Windows installation

Open Command Prompt or PowerShell as an administrator.

Run the following command:

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

Wait for the installation to complete.
Verify the installation by running:
```
sc query observiq-otel-collector
```
The service should show as RUNNING.

Linux installation

Open a terminal with root or sudo privileges.

Run the following command:

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

Wait for the installation to complete.
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 FileZilla logs 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:
    filelog:
        file_path: '<PATH_TO>/filezilla-logs.log'
        log_type: 'file'

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

service:
    pipelines:
        logs/filezilla_ftp_to_chronicle:
            receivers:
                - filelog
            exporters:
                - chronicle/filezilla_ftp

Configuration parameters

Replace the following placeholders:

Receiver configuration:
- file_path: Full path to the FileZilla log file:
  - Linux: for example, /var/log/filezilla/filezilla-logs.log
  - Windows: for example, C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\FileZilla\filezilla-logs.log
  - The exact path depends on the filename and location configured in FileZilla (see Configure logging in FileZilla)
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

Verify the service is running:

sudo systemctl status observiq-otel-collector

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 logging in FileZilla

Sign in to the server with FileZilla.
Open the FileZilla software.
Go to Edit > Settings.
Select Logging from the menu.
Provide the following configuration details:
- Select the checkbox Show timestamps in messagebox.
- Select the checkbox Log to file.
- Filename: Enter a filename and select the storage path (for example, filezilla-logs).
- Optional: Limit size of logfile: Select this checkbox to limit the amount of space a log file can use.
- Optional: Limit: Enter a max file size for your log file in Megabytes.
Click OK.
Restart FileZilla.

Note: The log file path configured in FileZilla must match the file_path value in the Bindplane agent config.yaml.

UDM mapping table

Log field	UDM mapping	Logic
data	read_only_udm.metadata.description	The raw log `data` field content.
data	read_only_udm.metadata.event_timestamp.seconds	Extracted from the `data` field using a grok pattern and converted to epoch seconds.
data	read_only_udm.network.http.response_code	Extracted from the `data` field using a grok pattern.
data	read_only_udm.principal.hostname	Extracted from the `data` field using a grok pattern.
data	read_only_udm.principal.port	Extracted from the `data` field using a grok pattern.
data	read_only_udm.principal.user.userid	Extracted from the `data` field using a grok pattern, only if the value is not `not logged in`.
data	read_only_udm.target.ip	Extracted from the `data` field using a grok pattern.
data	read_only_udm.target.process.pid	Extracted from the `data` field using a grok pattern.
	read_only_udm.metadata.event_type	Set to `NETWORK_FTP` if target.ip exists, otherwise set to `GENERIC_EVENT`.
	read_only_udm.metadata.log_type	Set to `FILEZILLA_FTP`.
	read_only_udm.metadata.product_name	Set to `FILEZILLA`.
	read_only_udm.metadata.vendor_name	Set to `FILEZILLA`.

Need more help? Get answers from Community members and Google SecOps professionals.