README.md

ansible-role-winlogbeat

An Ansible role that installs winlogbeat for Windows log monitoring.

Supported platforms:

• Windows 10
• Windows Server 2019
• Windows Server 2016

Requirements

None

Role Variables

Ansible variables from defaults/main.yml

winlogbeat_event_logs:
  channels:
    - name: Application
      ignore_older: "72h"
    - name: System
      ignore_older: "72h"
  security: true
  sysmon: false
  powershell: true
  wef: false

winlogbeat_output:
  type: "elasticsearch"
  elasticsearch:
    hosts:
      - "localhost:9200"
    security:
      enabled: false

winlogbeat_processors: |
  - add_host_metadata:
      when.not.contains.tags: forwarded
  - add_cloud_metadata: ~

winlogbeat_service:
  install_path_64: "C:\\Program Files\\Elastic\\winlogbeat"
  install_path_32: "C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Elastic\\winlogbeat"
  version: "7.9.1"
  download: true

The winlogbeat_service.download specifies if the install zip should be downloaded from https://artifacts.elastic.co/ or is copied from Ansible server. If your servers don't have access to the Internet download the install zip file and place it into .files/ folder. Don't change the zip file name.

Caution make sure that install_path_64 and install_path_32 end with \winlogbeat last task that does cleanup removes everything else from installation path which does not contain the current winlogbeat version number!

Dependencies

None.

Example Playbook

Example playbook with changed installation destination, Windows Defender log collection added, removed noisy events from security logs using processors and configured redis output.

- name: Install winlogbeat to workstations
  hosts:
    - workstations
  vars:
    winlogbeat_service:
       install_path_64: "C:\\Program Files\\monitoring\\winlogbeat"
       install_path_32: "C:\\Program Files (x86)\\monitoring\\winlogbeat"
       version: "7.9.1"
       download: false
    winlogbeat_event_logs:
      channels:
        - name: Application
          ignore_older: "72h"
        - name: System
          ignore_older: "72h"
        - name: Microsoft-Windows-Windows Defender/Operational
          ignore_older: "72h"
      security: true
      security_processors: |
          - drop_event.when.or:
	    - equals.winlog.event_id: 4656 # A handle to an object was requested.
	    - equals.winlog.event_id: 4658 # The handle to an object was closed.
	    - equals.winlog.event_id: 4659 # A handle to an object was requested with intent to delete.
	    - equals.winlog.event_id: 4660 # An object was deleted.
	    - equals.winlog.event_id: 4663 # An attempt was made to access an object.
	    - equals.winlog.event_id: 4664 # An attempt was made to create a hard link.
	    - equals.winlog.event_id: 4691 # Indirect access to an object was requested.
      powershell: true
      sysmon: true
      wef: false
    winlogbeat_template:
      enabled: false
    winlogbeat_general:
      tags:
        - "workstation"
        - "winlogbeat"
    winlogbeat_output:
      type: "redis"
      redis:
        hosts:
          - "192.168.24.33:6379"
        password: "my_super_long_redis_password_because_redis_is_fast"
        key: "winlogbeat-workstation"

License

MIT

Author Information

j91321

Notes

Role contains template usable with winlogbeat 6 in ./templates/winlogbeat6.yml.j2 To use this template either replace the winlogbeat.yml.j2 or modify the tasks.