Google Workspace API Access Granted via Domain-Wide Delegation
Detects when a super administrator authorizes domain-wide delegation (DWD) API client access for a Google Cloud service account or OAuth client. DWD lets an application impersonate users and access Workspace APIs…
Description
Detects when a super administrator authorizes domain-wide delegation (DWD) API client access for a Google Cloud service account or OAuth client. DWD lets an application impersonate users and access Workspace APIs across the tenant. Adversaries with admin access may register or authorize a malicious client with broad scopes to maintain API-based persistence and access mail, drive, and directory data without relying on a single user's password alone.
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
- Domain-wide delegation of authority may be granted to service accounts by system administrators. Verify that the configuration change was expected. Exceptions can be added to this rule to filter expected behavior.
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 |
|---|---|
| developers.google.com/admin-sdk/directory/v1/guides/delegation | 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
- acbc8bb9-2486-49a8-8779-45fb5f9a93ee
- Tagged by the source as
- Data Source: Google WorkspaceData Source: Google Workspace Audit LogsDomain: CloudDomain: SaaSNoise: LowPerformance: NormalPlatform: Google WorkspaceResources: Investigation GuideRule Type: Custom Query (KQL)Tactic: PersistenceTactic: Privilege EscalationUse 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