Entra ID Service Principal Created
Identifies when a new service principal is added in Microsoft Entra ID. An application, hosted service, or automated tool that accesses or modifies resources needs an identity created. This identity is known as a…
Description
Identifies when a new service principal is added in Microsoft Entra ID. An application, hosted service, or automated tool that accesses or modifies resources needs an identity created. This identity is known as a service principal. For security reasons, it's always recommended to use service principals with automated tools rather than allowing them to log in with a user identity.
Detection logic
Its licence does not clear it for publishing here
Sunturai publishes a detection's own text where the licence it arrived under has been reviewed and permits it, and Elastic License 2.0 has not. The query as its source wrote it, its canonical form and the hash that pins this revision are in the workspace record.
Detection requirements
- Platform
- ContainersESXiIaaSIdentity ProviderLinuxmacOSNetwork DevicesOffice SuiteSaaSWindows
The rule states no platform. This is derived from the ATT&CK technique it maps to.
- Log source category
- event_index
Known benign triggers
- A service principal may be created by a system or network administrator. Verify whether the username, hostname, and/or resource name should be making changes in your environment. Service principal additions from unfamiliar users or hosts should be investigated. If known behavior is causing false positives, it can be exempted from the rule.
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 |
|---|---|
| docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/develop/howto-create-service-principal-portal | Only this detection cites it |
| msrc-blog.microsoft.com/2020/12/13/customer-guidance-on-recent-nation-state-cyber-attacks/ | 3 |
From the source
- At source
- Open at source
- Upstream identifier
- 60b6b72f-0fbc-47e7-9895-9ba7627a8b50
- Tagged by the source as
- Data Source: AzureData Source: Microsoft Entra IDData Source: Microsoft Entra ID Audit LogsDomain: CloudDomain: IdentityNoise: MediumPerformance: NormalPlatform: Entra IDResources: Investigation GuideRule Type: Custom Query (KQL)Tactic: PersistenceUse Case: Identity and Access Audit
Licence
- Published under
- Elastic License 2.0Read the licence
- Attribution
- Required
Authorship
- Written by
- Published
- Sep 20, 2026
- Version
- 3