External User Added to Google Workspace Group
Detects an external Google Workspace user account being added to an existing group. Adversaries may add external user accounts as a means to intercept shared files or emails with that specific group.
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 2 ATT&CK techniques it maps to.
- Log source category
- event_index
Known benign triggers
- Administrators may add external users to groups to share files and communication with them via the intended recipient be the group they are added to. It is unlikely an external user account would be added to an organization's group where administrators should create a new user account.
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 |
|---|---|
| support.google.com/a/answer/33329 | Only this detection cites it |
| www.elastic.co/security-labs/google-workspace-attack-surface-part-one | 28 |
| www.elastic.co/security-labs/google-workspace-attack-surface-part-two | 24 |
From the source
- At source
- Open at source
- Upstream identifier
- 38f384e0-aef8-11ed-9a38-f661ea17fbcc
- Tagged by the source as
- Data Source: Google WorkspaceData Source: Google Workspace Audit LogsDomain: CloudDomain: SaaSNoise: MediumPerformance: NormalPlatform: Google WorkspaceResources: Investigation GuideRule Type: Event Correlation (EQL)Tactic: Initial AccessTactic: 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