Windows Entra User Management Via Azure CLI
Description
This analytic detects the usage of the Azure CLI to interact with user accounts such as creating or deleting a user. Adversaries create new users so that their malicious activity does not interrupt the normal functions of the compromised users and can remain undetected. While legitimate administrative use is expected, anomalous execution patterns, unexpected users, or unusual parent processes should be treated as potential indicators of compromise and investigated promptly.
Query · spl
| tstats `security_content_summariesonly`
count min(_time) as firstTime
max(_time) as lastTime
from datamodel=Endpoint.Processes where
Processes.process IN (
"*az.cmd*",
"*azure.cli*"
)
Processes.process="*ad *"
Processes.process="* user*"
by Processes.process Processes.vendor_product Processes.user_id
Processes.process_hash Processes.parent_process_name
Processes.parent_process_exec Processes.action Processes.dest
Processes.process_current_directory Processes.process_path
Processes.process_integrity_level Processes.original_file_name
Processes.parent_process Processes.parent_process_path
Processes.parent_process_guid Processes.parent_process_id
Processes.process_guid Processes.process_id
Processes.user Processes.process_name
| `drop_dm_object_name(Processes)`
| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
| `windows_entra_user_management_via_azure_cli_filter`
Implementation guide
The detection is based on data that originates from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents. These agents are designed to provide security-related telemetry from the endpoints where the agent is installed. To implement this search, you must ingest logs that contain the process GUID, process name, and parent process. Additionally, you must ingest complete command-line executions. These logs must be processed using the appropriate Splunk Technology Add-ons that are specific to the EDR product. The logs must also be mapped to the Processes node of the Endpoint data model. Use the Splunk Common Information Model (CIM) to normalize the field names and speed up the data modeling process.
Known false positives
- Legitimate IT administrators commonly use the Azure CLI for managing user accounts. Filter alerts to exclude approved administrative or automated user management activities.
Analyst notes
Known false positives: Legitimate IT administrators commonly use the Azure CLI for managing user accounts. Filter alerts to exclude approved administrative or automated user management activities.