HTTP brute force alerts to gameplayapi.intel.com

[SThatipelly]

I have started noticing PaloAlto firewall generating a lot of HTTP brute force alerts with the URL gameplayapi.intel.com/api/games/getagsgames2/ . Do any of you aware of what this could be? I couldn't find anything malicious related to this but I'm seeing so many users reaching out to it.

Thanks.

[BPry]

@SThatipelly,

This is usually caused by GfxDownloadWrapper and really can't be disabled. You can remove the Intel Control Panel or the Command Center and this should stop generating alerts. You very rarely actually need these applications in an Enterprise environment. 

[SThatipelly]

@BPry Thanks for the response. I am having my desktop services team to take a look at the endpoints. Will keep you posted. thank you.

[MikeC]

I'm also seeing this. I would say since this is legitimate software, wouldn't it make more sense for Palo to correct the signature

[MikeC]

@SThatipelly 

Would you know if the machines generating these alerts have "Intel Optane Pinning Explorer Extensions" installed?

[Cantrell]

Ours don't.

[MikeC]

Has anyone been able to successfully stop this?

[Cantrell]

I'm thinking the shortest route is going to be just blackhole the URL. If you hit the site manually, you get  password prompt, which is why it's getting flagged as http/brute-force, I guess. You gotta wonder why there are credentials since it's http...

[MikeC]

Yep, that's what I'm going to do but was trying to avoid it

[MarcelST]

Same issue here. We are now trying to check if this can be disabled in computers rather than create a signature exception.