[role="xpack"]
[testenv="basic"]
[[eql-search-api]]
=== EQL search API
++++
EQL search
++++
dev::[]
Returns search results for an <> query.
In {es}, EQL assumes each document in an index corresponds to an event.
////
[source,console]
----
PUT /my_index/_bulk?refresh
{"index":{"_index" : "my_index", "_id" : "1"}}
{ "@timestamp": "2020-12-06T11:04:05.000Z", "agent": { "id": "8a4f500d" }, "event": { "category": "process" }, "process": { "name": "cmd.exe", "path": "C:\\Windows\\System32\\cmd.exe" } }
{"index":{"_index" : "my_index", "_id" : "2"}}
{ "@timestamp": "2020-12-06T11:04:07.000Z", "agent": { "id": "8a4f500d" }, "event": { "category": "file" }, "file": { "accessed": "2020-12-07T11:07:08.000Z", "name": "cmd.exe", "path": "C:\\Windows\\System32\\cmd.exe", "type": "file", "size": 16384 }, "process": { "name": "cmd.exe", "path": "C:\\Windows\\System32\\cmd.exe" } }
{"index":{"_index" : "my_index", "_id" : "3"}}
{ "@timestamp": "2020-12-07T11:06:07.000Z", "agent": { "id": "8a4f500d" }, "event": { "category": "process" }, "process": { "name": "cmd.exe", "path": "C:\\Windows\\System32\\cmd.exe" } }
{"index":{"_index" : "my_index", "_id" : "4"}}
{ "@timestamp": "2020-12-07T11:07:08.000Z", "agent": { "id": "8a4f500d" }, "event": { "category": "file" }, "file": { "accessed": "2020-12-07T11:07:08.000Z", "name": "cmd.exe", "path": "C:\\Windows\\System32\\cmd.exe", "type": "file", "size": 16384 }, "process": { "name": "cmd.exe", "path": "C:\\Windows\\System32\\cmd.exe" } }
{"index":{"_index" : "my_index", "_id" : "5"}}
{ "@timestamp": "2020-12-07T11:07:09.000Z", "agent": { "id": "8a4f500d" }, "event": { "category": "process" }, "process": { "name": "regsvr32.exe", "path": "C:\\Windows\\System32\\regsvr32.exe" } }
----
// TESTSETUP
////
[source,console]
----
GET /my_index/_eql/search
{
"query": """
process where process.name = "regsvr32.exe"
"""
}
----
[[eql-search-api-request]]
==== {api-request-title}
`GET //_eql/search`
`POST //_eql/search`
[[eql-search-api-prereqs]]
==== {api-prereq-title}
See <>.
[[eql-search-api-limitations]]
===== Limitations
See <>.
[[eql-search-api-path-params]]
==== {api-path-parms-title}
``::
(Required, string)
Comma-separated list of index names or <> used to
limit the request. Accepts wildcard expressions.
+
To search all indices, use `_all` or `*`.
[[eql-search-api-query-params]]
==== {api-query-parms-title}
include::{es-repo-dir}/rest-api/common-parms.asciidoc[tag=allow-no-indices]
+
Defaults to `false`.
include::{es-repo-dir}/rest-api/common-parms.asciidoc[tag=expand-wildcards]
+
Defaults to `open`.
include::{es-repo-dir}/rest-api/common-parms.asciidoc[tag=index-ignore-unavailable]
[[eql-search-api-request-body]]
==== {api-request-body-title}
`case_sensitive`::
(Optional, boolean)
If `true`, matching for the <> is
case sensitive. Defaults to `false`.
`event_category_field`::
(Required*, string)
Field containing the event classification, such as `process`, `file`, or
`network`.
+
Defaults to `event.category`, as defined in the {ecs-ref}/ecs-event.html[Elastic
Common Schema (ECS)]. If an index does not contain the `event.category` field,
this value is required.
`filter`::
(Optional, <>)
Query, written in query DSL, used to filter the events on which the EQL query
runs.
`implicit_join_key_field`::
(Optional, string)
Reserved for future use.
[[eql-search-api-request-query-param]]
`query`::
(Required, string)
<> query you wish to run.
+
IMPORTANT: This parameter supports a subset of EQL syntax. See
<>.
`search_after`::
(Optional, string)
Reserved for future use.
`size`::
(Optional, integer or float)
Maximum number of matching events to return. Defaults to `50`. Values must be
greater than `0`.
[[eql-search-api-timestamp-field]]
`timestamp_field`::
+
--
(Required*, string)
Field containing event timestamp.
Defaults to `@timestamp`, as defined in the
{ecs-ref}/ecs-event.html[Elastic Common Schema (ECS)]. If an index does not
contain the `@timestamp` field, this value is required.
Events in the API response are sorted by this field's value, converted to
milliseconds since the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix_time[Unix epoch], in
ascending order.
--
[role="child_attributes"]
[[eql-search-api-response-body]]
==== {api-response-body-title}
`took`::
+
--
(integer)
Milliseconds it took {es} to execute the request.
This value is calculated by measuring the time elapsed
between receipt of a request on the coordinating node
and the time at which the coordinating node is ready to send the response.
Took time includes:
* Communication time between the coordinating node and data nodes
* Time the request spends in the `search` <>,
queued for execution
* Actual execution time
Took time does *not* include:
* Time needed to send the request to {es}
* Time needed to serialize the JSON response
* Time needed to send the response to a client
--
`timed_out`::
(boolean)
If `true`, the request timed out before completion.
`hits`::
(object)
Contains matching events and sequences. Also contains related metadata.
+
.Properties of `hits`
[%collapsible%open]
====
`total`::
(object)
Metadata about the number of matching events or sequences.
+
.Properties of `total`
[%collapsible%open]
=====
`value`::
(integer)
For <>, the total number of matching events.
+
For <>, the total number of matching sequences.
`relation`::
+
--
(string)
Indicates whether the number of events or sequences returned is accurate or a
lower bound.
Returned values are:
`eq`::: Accurate
`gte`::: Lower bound, including returned events or sequences
--
=====
`sequences`::
(array of objects)
Contains event sequences matching the query. Each object represents a
matching sequence. This parameter is only returned for EQL queries containing
a <>.
+
.Properties of `sequences` objects
[%collapsible%open]
=====
`join_keys`::
(array of strings)
Shared field values used to constrain matches in the sequence. These are defined
using the <> in the EQL query syntax.
`events`::
(array of objects)
Contains events matching the query. Each object represents a
matching event.
+
.Properties of `events` objects
[%collapsible%open]
======
`_index`::
(string)
Name of the index containing the event.
`_id`::
(string)
(string)
Unique identifier for the event.
This ID is only unique within the index.
`_score`::
(float)
Positive 32-bit floating point number used to determine the relevance of the
event. See <>.
`_source`::
(object)
Original JSON body passed for the event at index time.
`sort`::
(array)
Integer used as the sort value for the event.
+
By default, this is the event's <>, converted to milliseconds since the
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix_time[Unix epoch].
======
=====
[[eql-search-api-response-events]]
`events`::
(array of objects)
Contains events matching the query. Each object represents a
matching event.
+
.Properties of `events` objects
[%collapsible%open]
=====
`_index`::
(string)
Name of the index containing the event.
`_id`::
(string)
(string)
Unique identifier for the event.
This ID is only unique within the index.
`_score`::
(float)
Positive 32-bit floating point number used to determine the relevance of the
event. See <>.
`_source`::
(object)
Original JSON body passed for the event at index time.
`sort`::
(array)
Integer used as the sort value for the event.
+
By default, this is the event's <>, converted to milliseconds since the
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix_time[Unix epoch].
=====
====
[[eql-search-api-example]]
==== {api-examples-title}
[[eql-search-api-basic-query-ex]]
===== Basic query example
The following EQL search request searches for events with an `event.category` of
`file` that meet the following conditions:
* A `file.name` of `cmd.exe`
* An `agent.id` other than `my_user`
[source,console]
----
GET /my_index/_eql/search
{
"query": """
file where (file.name == "cmd.exe" and agent.id != "my_user")
"""
}
----
The API returns the following response. Matching events in the `hits.events`
property are sorted by <>, converted
to milliseconds since the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix_time[Unix epoch],
in ascending order.
[source,console-result]
----
{
"took": 6,
"timed_out": false,
"hits": {
"total": {
"value": 2,
"relation": "eq"
},
"events": [
{
"_index": "my_index",
"_type": "_doc",
"_id": "2",
"_score": null,
"_source": {
"@timestamp": "2020-12-06T11:04:07.000Z",
"agent": {
"id": "8a4f500d"
},
"event": {
"category": "file"
},
"file": {
"accessed": "2020-12-07T11:07:08.000Z",
"name": "cmd.exe",
"path": "C:\\Windows\\System32\\cmd.exe",
"type": "file",
"size": 16384
},
"process": {
"name": "cmd.exe",
"path": "C:\\Windows\\System32\\cmd.exe"
}
},
"sort": [
1607252647000
]
},
{
"_index": "my_index",
"_type": "_doc",
"_id": "4",
"_score": null,
"_source": {
"@timestamp": "2020-12-07T11:07:08.000Z",
"agent": {
"id": "8a4f500d"
},
"event": {
"category": "file"
},
"file": {
"accessed": "2020-12-07T11:07:08.000Z",
"name": "cmd.exe",
"path": "C:\\Windows\\System32\\cmd.exe",
"type": "file",
"size": 16384
},
"process": {
"name": "cmd.exe",
"path": "C:\\Windows\\System32\\cmd.exe"
}
},
"sort": [
1607339228000
]
}
]
}
}
----
// TESTRESPONSE[s/"took": 6/"took": $body.took/]
[[eql-search-api-sequence-ex]]
===== Sequence query example
The following EQL search request matches a <> of events
that:
. Start with an event with:
+
--
* An `event.category` of `file`
* A `file.name` of `cmd.exe`
* An `agent.id` other than `my_user`
--
. Followed by an event with:
+
--
* An `event.category` of `process`
* A `process.path` that contains the substring `regsvr32`
--
These events must also share the same `agent.id` value.
[source,console]
----
GET /my_index/_eql/search
{
"query": """
sequence by agent.id
[ file where file.name == "cmd.exe" and agent.id != "my_user" ]
[ process where stringContains(process.path, "regsvr32") ]
"""
}
----
The API returns the following response. The `hits.sequences.join_keys` property
contains the shared `agent.id` value for each matching event. Matching events in
the `hits.sequences.events` property are sorted by
<>, converted to milliseconds since
the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix_time[Unix epoch], in ascending order.
[source,console-result]
----
{
"took": 6,
"timed_out": false,
"hits": {
"total": {
"value": 1,
"relation": "eq"
},
"sequences": [
{
"join_keys": [
"8a4f500d"
],
"events": [
{
"_index": "my_index",
"_type": "_doc",
"_id": "4",
"_score": null,
"_source": {
"@timestamp": "2020-12-07T11:07:08.000Z",
"agent": {
"id": "8a4f500d"
},
"event": {
"category": "file"
},
"file": {
"accessed": "2020-12-07T11:07:08.000Z",
"name": "cmd.exe",
"path": "C:\\Windows\\System32\\cmd.exe",
"type": "file",
"size": 16384
},
"process": {
"name": "cmd.exe",
"path": "C:\\Windows\\System32\\cmd.exe"
}
},
"fields": {
"@timestamp": [
"1607339228000"
]
},
"sort": [
1607339228000
]
},
{
"_index": "my_index",
"_type": "_doc",
"_id": "5",
"_score": null,
"_source": {
"@timestamp": "2020-12-07T11:07:09.000Z",
"agent": {
"id": "8a4f500d"
},
"event": {
"category": "process"
},
"process": {
"name": "regsvr32.exe",
"path": "C:\\Windows\\System32\\regsvr32.exe"
}
},
"fields": {
"@timestamp": [
"1607339229000"
]
},
"sort": [
1607339229000
]
}
]
}
]
}
}
----
// TESTRESPONSE[s/"took": 6/"took": $body.took/]