ID | Technique | Tactic |
---|---|---|
T1078 | Valid Accounts | Defense Evasion |
Detection: O365 Multiple AppIDs and UserAgents Authentication Spike
Description
The following analytic identifies unusual authentication activity in an O365 environment, where a single user account experiences more than 8 authentication attempts using 3 or more unique application IDs and over 5 unique user agents within a short timeframe. It leverages O365 audit logs, focusing on authentication events and applying statistical thresholds. This behavior is significant as it may indicate an adversary probing for multi-factor authentication weaknesses. If confirmed malicious, it suggests a compromised account, potentially leading to unauthorized access, privilege escalation, and data exfiltration. Early detection is crucial to prevent further exploitation.
Search
1`o365_management_activity` Workload=AzureActiveDirectory (Operation=UserLoggedIn OR Operation=UserLoginFailed)
2| bucket span=5m _time
3| stats dc(_raw) as failed_attempts dc(ApplicationId) as unique_app_ids dc(UserAgent) as unique_user_agents values(ApplicationId) values(OS) by _time user src_ip
4| where failed_attempts > 5 and unique_user_agents > 5 and unique_app_ids > 2
5| `o365_multiple_appids_and_useragents_authentication_spike_filter`
Data Source
Name | Platform | Sourcetype | Source | Supported App |
---|---|---|---|---|
O365 UserLoggedIn | N/A | 'o365:management:activity' |
'o365' |
N/A |
Macros Used
Name | Value |
---|---|
o365_management_activity | sourcetype=o365:management:activity |
o365_multiple_appids_and_useragents_authentication_spike_filter | search * |
o365_multiple_appids_and_useragents_authentication_spike_filter
is an empty macro by default. It allows the user to filter out any results (false positives) without editing the SPL.
Annotations
Default Configuration
This detection is configured by default in Splunk Enterprise Security to run with the following settings:
Setting | Value |
---|---|
Disabled | true |
Cron Schedule | 0 * * * * |
Earliest Time | -70m@m |
Latest Time | -10m@m |
Schedule Window | auto |
Creates Risk Event | True |
Implementation
You must install the Splunk Microsoft Office 365 Add-on and ingest Office 365 management activity events.
Known False Positives
Rapid authentication from the same user using more than 5 different user agents and 3 application IDs is highly unlikely under normal circumstances. However, there are potential scenarios that could lead to false positives.
Associated Analytic Story
Risk Based Analytics (RBA)
Risk Message | Risk Score | Impact | Confidence |
---|---|---|---|
$user$ authenticated in a short period of time with more than 5 different user agents across 3 or more unique application ids. | 48 | 60 | 80 |
References
Detection Testing
Test Type | Status | Dataset | Source | Sourcetype |
---|---|---|---|---|
Validation | ✅ Passing | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Unit | ✅ Passing | Dataset | o365 |
o365:management:activity |
Integration | ✅ Passing | Dataset | o365 |
o365:management:activity |
Replay any dataset to Splunk Enterprise by using our replay.py
tool or the UI.
Alternatively you can replay a dataset into a Splunk Attack Range
Source: GitHub | Version: 3