Collect Cimcor CimTrak logs

Parser Version: 1.0

Supported in:

Google SecOps SIEM

This document explains how to ingest Cimcor CimTrak logs to Google Security Operations using the Bindplane agent.

Cimcor CimTrak is a file integrity monitoring (FIM) platform for detecting unauthorized changes to files, configurations, and system settings. The platform provides real-time integrity monitoring events with full forensic context, including who, what, when, and how a change occurred. CimTrak supports multiple log output formats including CEF (Common Event Format), LEEF (Log Event Extended Format), and MEF (Micro Event Format).

Before you begin

Make sure you have the following prerequisites:

A Google SecOps instance
Windows Server 2016 or later, or Linux host with systemd
Network connectivity between the Bindplane agent and Cimcor CimTrak
If running behind a proxy, ensure firewall ports are open per the Bindplane agent requirements
Privileged access to the Cimcor CimTrak management console with administrator permissions

Get Google SecOps credentials for the Bindplane agent

To authenticate the Bindplane agent to Google SecOps, choose one of the following methods:

New deployments: Use the Chronicle API (Option 1).
Legacy deployments: Continue using the ingestion authentication file (Option 2) until the Ingestion API is discontinued on July 20, 2027.

Option 1: Create a service account for the Chronicle API (recommended)

Sign in to the Google Cloud console and select the Google Cloud project that is linked to your Google SecOps instance.
Go to IAM & Admin > Service Accounts.
Click Create service account.
Provide the following configuration details:
- Service account name: Enter a name for the account (for example, bindplane-ingest).
- Service account description: Enter a description (for example, Bindplane agent log ingestion).
Click Create and continue.
In the Grant this service account access to project section, click Select a role and select Chronicle Editor.
Click Continue, and then click Done.
Click the service account you created, and then go to the Keys tab.
Click Add key > Create new key.
Select JSON and click Create. The key file is downloaded to your computer.
Save the key file as ingestion-auth.json in the Bindplane collector directory (/opt/observiq-otel-collector/ingestion-auth.json on Linux or C:\Program Files\observIQ OpenTelemetry Collector\ingestion-auth.json on Windows), or update creds_file_path in config.yaml to match the path where you save it.
Go to IAM & Admin > Settings and copy the Project number. You'll need it for the exporter configuration.

Option 2: Download the ingestion authentication file (legacy)

Sign in to the Google SecOps console.
Go to SIEM Settings > Collection Agents.
Download the ingestion authentication file.
Save the file securely on the system where the Bindplane agent will be installed.

Get a Google SecOps customer ID

Sign in to the Google SecOps console.
Go to SIEM Settings > Profile.
Copy and save the Customer ID from the Organization Details section.

Note: The customer ID is required for configuring the Bindplane agent exporter.

Install the Bindplane agent

Install the Bindplane agent on your Windows or Linux operating system according to the following instructions.

Windows installation

Open Command Prompt or PowerShell as an administrator.

Run the following command:

msiexec /i "https://github.com/observIQ/bindplane-agent/releases/latest/download/observiq-otel-collector.msi" /quiet

Wait for the installation to complete.
Verify the installation by running:
```
sc query observiq-otel-collector
```
The service should show as RUNNING.

Linux installation

Open a terminal with root or sudo privileges.

Run the following command:

sudo sh -c "$(curl -fsSlL https://github.com/observiq/bindplane-agent/releases/latest/download/install_unix.sh)" install_unix.sh

Wait for the installation to complete.
Verify the installation by running:
```
sudo systemctl status observiq-otel-collector
```
The service should show as active (running).

Additional installation resources

For additional installation options and troubleshooting, see the Bindplane agent installation guide.

Configure the Bindplane agent to ingest syslog and send to Google SecOps

Locate the configuration file

Linux:

sudo nano /opt/observiq-otel-collector/config.yaml

Windows:

notepad "C:\Program Files\observIQ OpenTelemetry Collector\config.yaml"

Edit the configuration file

Replace the entire contents of config.yaml with the following configuration:

receivers:
  tcplog:
    listen_address: "0.0.0.0:514"

exporters:
  chronicle/cimtrak:
    protocol: https
    # Region of your instance, for example us, europe, asia-southeast1
    location: <LOCATION>
    # Project number of the Google Cloud project linked to the instance
    project: '<PROJECT_NUMBER>'
    compression: gzip
    creds_file_path: '/opt/observiq-otel-collector/ingestion-auth.json'
    customer_id: '<customer_id>'
    endpoint: chronicle.googleapis.com
    log_type: CIMCOR
    raw_log_field: body
    ingestion_labels:
      env: production

service:
  pipelines:
    logs/cimtrak_to_chronicle:
      receivers:
        - tcplog
      exporters:
        - chronicle/cimtrak

Configuration parameters

Replace the following placeholders:

Receiver configuration:
- tcplog: The receiver type based on protocol:
  - udplog for UDP syslog
  - tcplog for TCP syslog
- 0.0.0.0: IP address to listen on:
  - 0.0.0.0 to listen on all interfaces (recommended)
  - Specific IP address to listen on one interface
- 514: Port number to listen on (for example, 514, 1514, 6514)
Exporter configuration:
- cimtrak: Descriptive name for the exporter
- creds_file_path: Full path to the service account JSON key file (Option 1):
  - Linux: /opt/observiq-otel-collector/ingestion-auth.json
  - Windows: C:\Program Files\observIQ OpenTelemetry Collector\ingestion-auth.json
- <customer_id>: Customer ID from the previous step
- location: Replace <LOCATION> with the region of your Google SecOps instance (for example, us, europe, or asia-southeast1). The exporter prefixes chronicle.googleapis.com with this value. See Regional Endpoints for the complete list.
- project: Replace <PROJECT_NUMBER> with the project number from IAM & Admin > Settings.
- endpoint: Keep set to chronicle.googleapis.com.
- CIMCOR: Log type exactly as it appears in Chronicle
- ingestion_labels: Optional labels in YAML format (for example, env: production)
Pipeline configuration:
- cimtrak_to_chronicle: Descriptive name for the pipeline

Legacy ingestion API exporter

If you use the ingestion authentication file from Option 2, replace the exporters block with the following. Set creds_file_path to the path to the ingestion authentication file, and if your instance is outside the US, replace malachiteingestion-pa.googleapis.com with your regional endpoint (for example, europe-malachiteingestion-pa.googleapis.com).

exporters:
  chronicle/cimtrak:
    compression: gzip
    creds_file_path: '/opt/observiq-otel-collector/ingestion-auth.json'
    customer_id: '<customer_id>'
    endpoint: malachiteingestion-pa.googleapis.com
    log_type: CIMCOR
    raw_log_field: body
    ingestion_labels:
      env: production

Save the configuration file

After editing, save the file:
- Linux: Press Ctrl+O, then Enter, then Ctrl+X
- Windows: Click File > Save

Restart the Bindplane agent to apply the changes

To restart the Bindplane agent in Linux, run the following command:

sudo systemctl restart observiq-otel-collector

Verify the service is running:

sudo systemctl status observiq-otel-collector

Check logs for errors:

sudo journalctl -u observiq-otel-collector -f

To restart the Bindplane agent in Windows, choose one of the following options:
- Command Prompt or PowerShell as administrator:
```
net stop observiq-otel-collector && net start observiq-otel-collector
```
- Services console:
  1. Press Win+R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
  2. Locate observIQ OpenTelemetry Collector.
  3. Right-click and select Restart.
  4. Verify the service is running:
```
sc query observiq-otel-collector
```
  5. Check logs for errors:
```
type "C:\Program Files\observIQ OpenTelemetry Collector\log\collector.log"
```

Configure Cimcor CimTrak syslog forwarding

Sign in to the CimTrak management console with administrator credentials.
Navigate to Administration > System or Event Forwarding settings.
Locate the SIEM Integration or Syslog configuration section.

Configure the following parameters:

Setting	Value
Syslog server IP/hostname	Enter the IP address or hostname of the Bindplane agent host
Port	Enter the port matching the Bindplane agent receiver configuration (for example, `514`)
Protocol	Select TCP or UDP to match the Bindplane receiver type
Log format	Select CEF, LEEF, or MEF based on your requirements

(Optional) Configure a filter to send only specific event categories (for example, critical alerts only) or all events.
Click Save and verify that events appear in the Bindplane agent logs.

Note: The exact UI navigation may vary depending on your CimTrak version. For detailed instructions specific to your version, refer to the SIEM Integration section in your CimTrak product documentation or contact Cimcor support.

UDM mapping table

Change Log

View the Change Log for this parser

Need more help? Get answers from Community members and Google SecOps professionals.