M365 SharePoint Site Administrator Added
Identifies when a new SharePoint Site Administrator is added in Microsoft 365. Site Administrators have full control over SharePoint Sites, including the ability to manage permissions, access all content, and modify…
Description
Identifies when a new SharePoint Site Administrator is added in Microsoft 365. Site Administrators have full control over SharePoint Sites, including the ability to manage permissions, access all content, and modify site settings. Adversaries who compromise a privileged account may add themselves or a controlled account as a Site Administrator to maintain persistent, high-privilege access to sensitive SharePoint data. This technique was notably observed in the 0mega ransomware campaign, where attackers elevated privileges to exfiltrate data and deploy ransom notes across SharePoint sites.
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
- Automated provisioning tools or scripts that assign Site admin roles during site creation workflows.
- Legitimate IT administrators adding Site admins as part of routine SharePoint site management.
- Organizational restructuring where site ownership is being transferred to new administrators.
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 |
|---|---|
| learn.microsoft.com/en-us/purview/audit-log-activities#site-permissions-activities | 3 |
| web.archive.org/web/20230608061141/https://www.obsidiansecurity.com/blog/saas-ransomware-observed-sharepoint-microsoft-365/ | Only this detection cites it |
From the source
- At source
- Open at source
- Upstream identifier
- 98ebd6a1-77db-4fe1-b4fd-1bd3c737b780
- Tagged by the source as
- Data Source: Microsoft 365Data Source: Microsoft 365 Audit LogsDomain: CloudDomain: IdentityDomain: SaaSNoise: MediumPerformance: NormalPlatform: Microsoft 365Resources: Investigation GuideRule Type: Custom Query (KQL)Service: Microsoft SharePointTactic: PersistenceTactic: Privilege EscalationUse Case: Identity and Access Audit
Licence
- Published under
- Elastic License 2.0Read the licence
- Attribution
- Required
Authorship
- Written by
- Published
- Oct 8, 2026
- Version
- 4