OSQuery: Facebook's Open-Source System Inspection Tool Using SQL

Key Highlights:

• Facebook's OSQuery leverages SQL queries to inspect the state of OS X and Linux systems. This open-source tool runs on CentOS, Ubuntu, and OS X.
• OSQuery presents system data in a relational database format, simplifying troubleshooting of issues like port conflicts or unresponsive programs.
• It offers osqueryi (interactive console) for ad-hoc queries and osqueryd (daemon) for scheduled data aggregation across multiple machines. Custom table creation is also supported.
• A Vagrant configuration simplifies building and testing the OSQuery package. Installation involves manual package building and local installation. Once installed, it provides access to system information like running processes, kernel modules, network connections, browser plugins, hardware details, and file hashes.

Initially, the concept of using SQL to query an operating system might seem unconventional. However, OSQuery's utility quickly becomes apparent. This explanation details its benefits, installation, and provides example queries using a pre-configured Vagrant box (useful for those without direct OS X or Linux access).

Functionality:

OSQuery simulates a relational database, offering "tables" (not traditional database tables) that expose OS data in a queryable SQL format. This allows for complex queries including joins. This simplifies tasks like identifying a port conflict caused by a defunct application, replacing manual process list searches. OSQuery's cross-platform compatibility extends its use to production servers, development environments, and various other machines. Its open-source nature and readily available documentation make it easily accessible. The project actively adds new tables, addressing potential gaps in available data.

Installation and Usage:

OSQuery provides a Vagrant configuration for building the package. The installation process deviates from standard package manager installations (like apt-get install) due to its absence from official repositories. The steps involve manual package building and local installation. Let's illustrate with an Ubuntu 14.04 example:

1. Clone and Start the Vagrant Box: Ensure Git, Vagrant, and VirtualBox are installed. Then:

   git clone https://github.com/facebook/osquery
   cd osquery
   vagrant up ubuntu14

2. Build within the Virtual Environment: SSH into the VM (vagrant ssh ubuntu14), then:

   sudo su
   cd /vagrant
   ./tools/provision.sh
   make
   make package

   (Note: Windows users may encounter symlink errors; re-running provision.sh might resolve this.) The resulting package (osquery-0.0.1-trusty.amd64.deb) will be in /vagrant/build/linux/.

3. Installation: Use dpkg:

   git clone https://github.com/facebook/osquery
   cd osquery
   vagrant up ubuntu14

   This .deb file can then be copied and installed on other Ubuntu 14.04 machines. The process adapts similarly for other supported operating systems.

4. Using OSQuery: Access the interactive console (osqueryi). Example queries:

   • List all users: SELECT * FROM users;
   • Identify processes with missing binaries (potential malware indicator): SELECT name, path, pid FROM processes WHERE on_disk = 0;
   • Show users and their groups: SELECT u.uid, u.gid, u.username, g.name, u.description FROM users u LEFT JOIN groups g ON (u.gid = g.gid);
   • Find empty groups: SELECT groups.gid, groups.name FROM groups LEFT JOIN users ON (groups.gid = users.gid) WHERE users.uid IS NULL;

Conclusion:

OSQuery is a valuable open-source tool from Facebook, offering a unique SQL-based approach to system inspection. Its applications span system monitoring, security analysis, and various other tasks, making it a powerful asset for system administrators and security professionals.

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