Free Splunk SPLK-2003 Practice Exam with Questions & Answers

The correct answer is A because assets provide location, credentials, and other parameters needed to run actions. Assets are configurations that define how Phantom connects to external systems or devices, such as firewalls, endpoints, or threat intelligence sources. Assets specify the app, the IP address or hostname, the username and password, and any other settings required to run actions on the target system or device. The answer B is incorrect because assets do not provide hostnames, passwords, and other artifacts needed to run actions, which are data objects that can be created or retrieved by playbooks. The answer C is incorrect because assets do not provide Python code, REST API, and other capabilities needed to run actions, which are provided by apps. The answer D is incorrect because assets do not provide firewall, network, and data sources needed to run actions, which are external systems or devices that can be connected to by assets. Reference: Splunk SOAR Admin Guide, page 45. Assets in Splunk Phantom are configurations that contain the necessary information for apps to connect to external systems and services. This information can include IP addresses, domain names, credentials like usernames and passwords, and other necessary parameters such as API keys or tokens. These parameters enable the apps to perform actions like running queries, executing commands, or gathering data. Assets do not provide the actual Python code, REST API capabilities, or network infrastructure; they are the bridge between the apps and the external systems with the configuration data needed for successful communication and action execution

Playbooks in Splunk SOAR are designed to handle various types of data to automate responses to security incidents. The correct types of data handled by playbooks include:

Container Data: Containers are used to group related data for an incident or event. Playbooks can access this information to perform actions and make decisions.

Artifact CEF Data: Artifacts hold detailed information about the event or incident, including CEF (Common Event Format) data. Playbooks often process this CEF data for various actions.

Result Data: This refers to the data generated from actions executed by the playbook, such as results from API calls, integrations, or automated responses.

List Data: Lists in Splunk SOAR are collections of reusable data (such as IP blocklists, whitelists, etc.) that playbooks can access to check values or make decisions based on external lists.

The inclusion of List data instead of Threat data distinguishes this option from others, as lists are more directly used by playbooks during execution, whereas threat data is a broader category that is often processed but not always directly handled by playbooks.

References:

Splunk SOAR Documentation: Playbook Data Handling.

Splunk SOAR Best Practices: Automating with Playbooks.

In Splunk SOAR, when working on a case and analyzing events, items marked as significant evidence are aggregated for review. These evidence items can be collectively viewed on the Investigation page under the Evidence tab. This centralized view allows analysts to easily access and review all marked evidence related to a case, facilitating a streamlined analysis process and ensuring that key information is readily available for investigation and decision-making.

In Splunk SOAR, tasks within workbooks can be performed by any user whose role has the 'Perform Task' capability enabled. This capability is assigned within the role configuration and allows users with the appropriate permissions to execute tasks. It is not limited to users with write access or the container owner; rather, it is based on the specific permissions granted to the role with which the user is associated.

The correct answer is C because filter blocks can be used to select data for use by other blocks. Filter blocks can filter data from the container, artifacts, or custom lists based on various criteria, such as field name, value, operator, etc. Filter blocks can also join data from multiple sources using the join action. The output of the filter block can be used as input for other blocks, such as decision, format, prompt, etc. See Splunk SOAR Documentation for more details.

Filter blocks within Splunk SOAR playbooks are designed to sift through data and select specific pieces of information based on defined criteria. These blocks are crucial for narrowing down the data that subsequent blocks in a playbook will act upon. By applying filters, a playbook can focus on relevant data, thereby enhancing efficiency and ensuring that actions are taken based on precise, contextually relevant information. This capability is essential for tailoring the playbook's actions to the specific needs of the incident or workflow, enabling more targeted and effective automation strategies. Filters do not directly select blocks for container data access, choose assets by various administrative criteria, or select containers by attributes like severity or status; their primary function is to refine data within the playbook's operational context.

The error message "an empty parameters list was passed to phantom.act()" typically indicates that the action being called by the playbook does not have the required parameters to execute. This can happen if the playbook expects certain data to be present in the container's artifacts but finds none. Artifacts in Splunk SOAR (Phantom) are data elements associated with a container (such as an event or alert) that playbooks can act upon. If a playbook action is designed to use data from artifacts as parameters and those artifacts are missing or do not contain the expected data, the playbook cannot execute the action properly, leading to this error.

The Files tab on the Investigate page allows the user to upload, download, and view files related to an investigation. A user can upload the output from a detonate action to the Files tab for further investigation, such as analyzing the file metadata, content, or hash. Files tab items and artifacts are not the only data sources that can populate active cases, as cases can also include events, tasks, notes, and comments. Files tab items can be added to investigations by using the add file action block or the Add File button on the Files tab. Phantom memory requirements may increase depending on the Files tab usage, as files are stored in the Phantom database. 

The Files tab on the Investigate page in Splunk Phantom is an area where users can manage and analyze files related to an investigation. Users can upload files, such as outputs from a 'detonate file' action which analyzes potentially malicious files in a sandbox environment. The files tab allows users to store and further investigate these outputs, which can include reports, logs, or any other file types that have been generated or are relevant to the investigation. The Files tab is an integral part of the investigation process, providing easy access to file data for analysis and correlation with other incident data.

Decision blocks are most useful when selecting one (or zero) possible paths in the playbook. Decision blocks allow the user to define one or more conditions based on action results, artifacts, or custom expressions, and execute the corresponding path if the condition is met. If none of the conditions are met, the playbook execution ends. Decision blocks are not used for processing different data in parallel, evaluating complex, multi-value results or artifacts, or modifying downstream data in one or more paths in the playbook. Decision blocks within Splunk Phantom playbooks are used to control the flow of execution based on certain criteria. They are most useful when you need to select one or potentially no paths for the playbook to follow, based on the evaluation of specified conditions. This is akin to an if-else or switch-case logic in programming where depending on the conditions met, a particular path is chosen for further actions. Decision blocks evaluate the data and direct the playbook to different paths accordingly, making them a fundamental component for creating dynamic and responsive automation workflows.

The phantom.debug() function is used within Splunk SOAR playbooks to output debug information to the debug window in the Visual Playbook Editor. This function is instrumental in troubleshooting and developing playbooks, as it allows developers to print out variables, messages, or any relevant information that can help in understanding the flow of the playbook, the data being processed, and any issues that might arise during execution. This debugging tool is essential for ensuring that playbooks are functioning as intended and for diagnosing any problems that may occur.

The Phantom API command to create a custom list is phantom.create_list(). This command takes a list name and an optional description as parameters and returns a list ID if successful. The other commands are not valid Phantom API commands. phantom.add_list() is a Python function that can be used in custom code blocks to add data to an existing list.  To create a custom list in Splunk Phantom, the appropriate API command used is phantom.create_list(). This function allows for the creation of a new list that can be used to store data such as IP addresses, file hashes, or any other information that you want to track or reference across multiple playbooks or within different parts of the Phantom platform. The custom list is a flexible data structure that can be leveraged for various use cases within Phantom, including data enrichment, persistent storage of information, and cross-playbook data sharing.