Azure Runbook Webhook Created

Description

The following analytic detects the creation of a new Automation Runbook Webhook within an Azure tenant. It leverages Azure Audit events, specifically the "Create or Update an Azure Automation webhook" operation, to identify this activity. This behavior is significant because Webhooks can trigger Automation Runbooks via unauthenticated URLs exposed to the Internet, posing a security risk. If confirmed malicious, an attacker could use this to execute code, create users, or maintain persistence within the environment, potentially leading to unauthorized access and control over Azure resources.

Query · spl

`azure_audit` operationName.value="Microsoft.Automation/automationAccounts/webhooks/write" status.value=Succeeded
  | dedup object
  | rename claims.ipaddr as src_ip
  | rename caller as user
  | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime values(dest) as dest
    BY object user, src_ip,
       resourceGroupName, object_path
  | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
  | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
  | `azure_runbook_webhook_created_filter`

Implementation guide

You must install the latest version of Splunk Add-on for Microsoft Cloud Services from Splunkbase (https://splunkbase.splunk.com/app/3110/#/details). You must be ingesting Azure Audit events into your Splunk environment. Specifically, this analytic leverages the Azure Activity log category.

Known false positives

  • Administrators may legitimately create Azure Runbook Webhooks. Filter as needed.

Analyst notes

Known false positives: Administrators may legitimately create Azure Runbook Webhooks. Filter as needed.

Raw source Azure Runbook Webhook Created · SPL
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Published by splunk/security_content ↗, licensed under Apache 2.0 ↗. Reproduced here unmodified. 
name: Azure Runbook Webhook Created
id: e98944a9-92e4-443c-81b8-a322e33ce75a
version: 15
creation_date: '2022-08-23'
modification_date: '2026-05-13'
author: Mauricio Velazco, Brian Serocki, Splunk
status: production
type: TTP
description: The following analytic detects the creation of a new Automation Runbook Webhook within an Azure tenant. It leverages Azure Audit events, specifically the "Create or Update an Azure Automation webhook" operation, to identify this activity. This behavior is significant because Webhooks can trigger Automation Runbooks via unauthenticated URLs exposed to the Internet, posing a security risk. If confirmed malicious, an attacker could use this to execute code, create users, or maintain persistence within the environment, potentially leading to unauthorized access and control over Azure resources.
data_source:
    - Azure Audit Create or Update an Azure Automation webhook
search: |-
    `azure_audit` operationName.value="Microsoft.Automation/automationAccounts/webhooks/write" status.value=Succeeded
      | dedup object
      | rename claims.ipaddr as src_ip
      | rename caller as user
      | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime values(dest) as dest
        BY object user, src_ip,
           resourceGroupName, object_path
      | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
      | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
      | `azure_runbook_webhook_created_filter`
how_to_implement: You must install the latest version of Splunk Add-on for Microsoft Cloud Services from Splunkbase (https://splunkbase.splunk.com/app/3110/#/details). You must be ingesting Azure Audit events into your Splunk environment. Specifically, this analytic leverages the Azure Activity log category.
known_false_positives: Administrators may legitimately create Azure Runbook Webhooks. Filter as needed.
references:
    - https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automation/overview
    - https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automation/automation-runbook-types
    - https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/automation/automation-webhooks?tabs=portal
    - https://www.inversecos.com/2021/12/how-to-detect-malicious-azure.html
    - https://www.netspi.com/blog/technical/cloud-penetration-testing/maintaining-azure-persistence-via-automation-accounts/
    - https://microsoft.github.io/Azure-Threat-Research-Matrix/Persistence/AZT503/AZT503-3/
    - https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1078/004/
drilldown_searches:
    - name: View the detection results for - "$user$"
      search: '%original_detection_search% | search  user = "$user$"'
      earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
    - name: View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$user$"
      search: '| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$user$") | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime values(search_name) as "Search Name" values(risk_message) as "Risk Message" values(analyticstories) as "Analytic Stories" values(annotations._all) as "Annotations" values(annotations.mitre_attack.mitre_tactic) as "ATT&CK Tactics" by normalized_risk_object | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`'
      earliest_offset: 7d
      latest_offset: "0"
finding:
    title: A new Azure Runbook Webhook $object$ was created by $user$
    entity:
        field: user
        type: user
        score: 50
analytic_story:
    - Azure Active Directory Persistence
asset_type: Azure Tenant
mitre_attack_id:
    - T1078.004
product:
    - Splunk Enterprise
    - Splunk Enterprise Security
    - Splunk Cloud
category: cloud
security_domain: threat
tests:
    - name: True Positive Test
      attack_data:
        - data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1078.004/azure_runbook_webhook/azure-activity.log
          source: mscs:azure:audit
          sourcetype: mscs:azure:audit
      test_type: unit

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