Azure Run Command Correlated with Process Execution
Correlates successful Azure Virtual Machine Run Command operations with endpoint process execution on the same host within minutes. Adversaries abuse Run Command to run scripts remotely as SYSTEM or root while…
Description
Correlates successful Azure Virtual Machine Run Command operations with endpoint process execution on the same host within minutes. Adversaries abuse Run Command to run scripts remotely as SYSTEM or root while activity logs only record the control-plane action; Elastic Defend process telemetry reveals the on-guest payload.
Detection logic
Its licence does not clear it for publishing here
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Detection requirements
- Platform
- ContainersESXiIaaSIdentity ProviderLinuxmacOSNetwork DevicesOffice SuiteSaaSWindows
The rule states no platform. This is derived from the 2 ATT&CK techniques it maps to.
Known benign triggers
- Legitimate automation that deploys configuration via Azure Run Command and launches PowerShell with unrestricted policy and numbered script files (for example `script1.ps1`) may match. Baseline known deployment pipelines, VM names, and principal IDs before tuning.
MITRE ATT&CK mappings
0 exclusive techniques.This is coverage no other published rule has; it is not this rule's total technique count.
References
| Reference | Cited by |
|---|---|
| adsecurity.org/?p=4277 | 4from 2 sources |
| docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/role-based-access-control/built-in-roles#virtual-machine-contributor | 3 |
| posts.specterops.io/attacking-azure-azure-ad-and-introducing-powerzure-ca70b330511a | 6 |
From the source
- At source
- Open at source
- Upstream identifier
- ebbc1959-3309-4abf-b6cb-2bee3dbc9a7b
- Tagged by the source as
- Data Source: AzureData Source: Azure Activity LogsData Source: Elastic DefendData Source: Microsoft AzureDomain: CloudDomain: EndpointNoise: UnknownOS: LinuxOS: WindowsPerformance: NormalPlatform: AzurePlatform: LinuxPlatform: WindowsResources: Investigation GuideRule Type: ES|QLTactic: ExecutionThreat: Cloud VM ExecutionUse Case: Threat Detection
Licence
- Published under
- Elastic License 2.0Read the licence
- Attribution
- Required
Authorship
- Written by
- Published
- Sep 20, 2026
- Version
- 3