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Azure AD Privileged Role Assigned to Service Principal

The following analytic detects the assignment of privileged roles to service principals in Azure Active Directory (AD). It leverages the AuditLogs log category from ingested Azure AD events. This activity is…

Description

The following analytic detects the assignment of privileged roles to service principals in Azure Active Directory (AD). It leverages the AuditLogs log category from ingested Azure AD events. This activity is significant because assigning elevated permissions to non-human entities can lead to unauthorized access or malicious activities. If confirmed malicious, attackers could exploit these service principals to gain elevated access to Azure resources, potentially compromising sensitive data and critical infrastructure. Monitoring this behavior helps prevent privilege escalation and ensures the security of Azure environments.

Detection logic

Detection requirements

Platform
IaaSIdentity ProviderOffice SuiteSaaS

The rule states no platform. This is derived from the ATT&CK technique it maps to.

Known benign triggers

  • Administrators may legitimately assign the privileged roles to Service Principals as part of administrative tasks. Filter as needed.

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