# INTELLIGENCE BRIEFING: 52.167.144.160
## EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
IP address 52.167.144.160 is associated with Microsoft Corporation's Bing search bot infrastructure. The IP presents moderate risk (score: 40) and resolves to Microsoft's search crawler hostname. While the IP itself shows no direct threat indicators, the associated subnet (52.167.144.0/24) exhibits elevated abuse density, warranting monitored engagement rather than immediate blocking.
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## OWNERSHIP & INFRASTRUCTURE
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| **Organization** | Microsoft Corporation (ASN 8075) |
| **Network Role** | Bingbot Search Crawler |
| **Infrastructure** | CloudCompute / Hosting |
| **Geolocation** | Madison, Wisconsin, US |
| **DNS Resolution** | msnbot-52-167-144-160.search.msn.com |
| **Forward Confirmed** | Yes |
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## RISK ASSESSMENT
- Overall Risk Score: 40 (Moderate Risk)
- Abuse Confidence: Not flagged as known attacker or spam source
- Blacklist Status: 0 entries
- Threat Indicators: None detected
- Control Plane: Route stable but flagged as MOAS (Multiple Origin ASN Subnet)
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## NEIGHBORHOOD ANALYSIS
The /24 subnet (52.167.144.0/24) shows concerning aggregation characteristics:
- Total Siblings: 85 IPs
- Active Siblings: 61
- Threat Siblings: 56
- Abuse Density: 0.6588 (HIGH_ABUSE)
- Risk Distribution: 0 High | 84 Medium | 6 Low
*Note: This suggests the subnet is heavily utilized for legitimate Microsoft infrastructure but may contain compromised endpoints.*
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## OBSERVATION HISTORY (Last 20 Signals)
Recent observations indicate normal operational patterns:
- June 28, 2026: DNS resolution to msn.com with CAA records present
- June 20, 2026: Multiple port scans detected (no open services)
- ICMP Validation: Failed (blocked)
- Operator Score: 0.3478 (Basic classification)
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## NETWORK RELATIONSHIPS
30 relationships identified, primarily:
- DNS Associations: msnbot-52-167-144-160.search.msn.com (25 instances)
- Network Associations: MSFT network (5 instances)
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## RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
Firewall Rules (Apply with caution)
| Platform | Rule |
|---|---|
| **iptables** | `iptables -A INPUT -s 52.167.144.160 -j DROP` |
| **nftables** | `nft add rule inet filter input ip saddr 52.167.144.160 drop` |
| **nginx** | `deny 52.167.144.160;` |
| **pfSense** | `52.167.144.160/32` |
| **Cloudflare WAF** | Block with expression: `ip.src eq 52.167.144.160` |
| **AWS WAF** | `Addresses: ["52.167.144.160/32"]` |
Analyst Recommendation
Do not block immediately. This IP belongs to Microsoft's legitimate Bing search infrastructure. However, consider:
1. Rate Limit: If traffic exceeds expected crawl behavior, apply rate limiting
2. Monitor: Watch for deviations from normal search bot patterns
3. Context: If this IP appears in attack logs, investigate whether abuse is occurring from a compromised endpoint in the same subnet
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## INDICATORS
No threat indicators present.
- No known campaigns
- No malicious certificates
- No email reputation issues
- No DNSBL listings on this IP (parent subnet flagged for high abuse)
---
*Intel generated from IPDebrief analysis. Combine with additional signals before implementing blocking actions.*
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Verify critical details independently.
π’ Ownership & Registration
| Organization | Microsoft Corporation |
| ASN | AS8075 |
| Network Name | β |
| CIDR Block | β |
| RIR | ARIN |
| Country | β |
| Abuse Contact | Available via RDAP |
π DNS Intelligence
| PTR | msnbot-52-167-144-160.search.msn.com |
| Forward Confirmed | Yes β FCrDNS verified |
| Forward Hostnames | msnbot-52-167-144-160.search.msn.com |
π DNS Hygiene
| Hygiene Score | 100% (Excellent) |
| SPF | Present |
| DMARC | Present |
| FCrDNS | Verified |
| DNSSEC | Valid |
| CAA | Present |
βοΈ Network Classification
| Infrastructure | Infrastructure / Datacenter |
| Service Purpose | Firewalled / No Services |
| Network Tier | Hosting β Infrastructure provider without advanced routing |
π Services & Open Ports
| Port | Service | Protocol | Banner |
|---|---|---|---|
| No open ports detected | |||
| Closed Ports | 22, 25, 80, 443, 3389, 8080, 8443 (0 open / 7 scanned) | ||
| Server | β |
| HTTP Title | β |
π TLS Certificate
| SANs | None |
| Valid From | β |
| Valid Until | β |
π― Confidence Breakdown
Per-dimension confidence scores based on source diversity and data freshness
| Dimension | Score | Sources | Observations |
|---|---|---|---|
| threat | 33% | 2 | 4 |
| routing | 8% | 1 | 1 |
| services | 15% | 2 | 2 |
| ownership | 20% | 2 | 3 |
| reputation | 28% | 1 | 3 |
| geolocation | 27% | 2 | 3 |
| Overall | 22% | 10 | 16 |
| Data Coherence | Consistent (100%) |
| Attribution | Moderate (70%) |
| OwnershipFCrDNSGeo ConsensusGeo PlausibleIRR MatchRPKI Valid |
π Observation Timeline π Live
| First Seen | 2026-05-20 05:45:07 UTC |
| Last Seen | 2026-06-28 11:27:00 UTC |
| Profile Built | 2026-06-29 05:30:16 UTC |
| Data Freshness | Live |
| Signal Types | 21 |
| Total Observations | 24 |
Full dossier details are available via our API.