How to use the command 'ipaggcreate' (with examples)

The ipaggcreate command is a robust tool designed to produce aggregate statistics from TCP/IP dumps. By parsing packet capture (PCAP) files or live network traffic, ipaggcreate allows users to summarize and analyze network data efficiently. The command is particularly useful for network administrators and security researchers who need insights into network traffic patterns. More information can be found on its manual page .

Use case 1: Count the number of packets sent from each source address appearing in a PCAP file

Code:

ipaggcreate --src path/to/file.pcap

Motivation:

In network analysis, understanding the distribution of packet sources is crucial for identifying potential sources of excessive traffic or unauthorized access attempts. This is especially important for detecting anomalies or threats such as distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, which often involve multiple sources.

Explanation:

• ipaggcreate: This is the command used to aggregate statistics from network traffic.
• --src: The --src flag specifies that the command should count the packets based on their source addresses.
• path/to/file.pcap: This argument indicates the path to the PCAP file that contains the TCP/IP traffic data to be analyzed.

Example output:

192.168.1.1: 150 packets
192.168.1.2: 75 packets
10.0.0.5: 125 packets

Use case 2: Group and count packets read from a network interface by IP packet length

Code:

ipaggcreate --interface eth0 --length

Motivation:

Analyzing packet lengths on a live network interface can help in detecting anomalies such as oversized packets, which may indicate attempts to evade security systems or cause buffer overflows. Monitoring real-time traffic also provides visibility into network health and can assist in optimizing network performance.

Explanation:

• ipaggcreate: The command used for aggregating network statistics.
• --interface eth0: This flag tells the command to read packets from the network interface named eth0. It helps in capturing live traffic data.
• --length: This option indicates that packets should be grouped and counted based on their IP packet length, which can be crucial for traffic pattern analysis.

Example output:

Packets with length 60: 200
Packets with length 576: 300
Packets with length 1500: 100

Use case 3: Count the number of bytes sent between each address pair appearing in a PCAP file

Code:

ipaggcreate --address-pairs --bytes path/to/file.pcap

Motivation:

Quantifying the volume of data exchanged between IP address pairs provides invaluable insight into network usage patterns. This can help in identifying heavy users of bandwidth or communication between suspicious address pairs that might imply data exfiltration or botnet activity.

Explanation:

• ipaggcreate: The command utilized to produce summaries of TCP/IP traffic data.
• --address-pairs: This option instructs the command to consider every unique source-destination address pair when counting.
• --bytes: This argument specifies that the output should reflect the total number of bytes exchanged, rather than count the number of packets.
• path/to/file.pcap: Designates the file path to the PCAP file containing the relevant network data.

Example output:

192.168.1.1 <-> 192.168.1.2: 15000 bytes
10.0.0.5 <-> 172.16.0.100: 20000 bytes
192.168.2.10 <-> 10.0.0.5: 5000 bytes

Conclusion:

The ipaggcreate command is an essential tool for network traffic analysis, offering various modes to generate insightful statistics from TCP/IP dumps. By utilizing its capabilities, network administrators and security analysts can better understand traffic patterns, detect anomalies, and optimize network performance. Whether for counting packets by source or examining the data exchange between address pairs, ipaggcreate provides user-friendly and powerful aggregation features.