Detection: Azure AD PIM Role Assignment Activated

Updated Date: 2025-02-10 ID: 952e80d0-e343-439b-83f4-808c3e6fbf2e Author: Mauricio Velazco, Splunk Type: TTP Product: Splunk Enterprise Security

Description

The following analytic detects the activation of an Azure AD Privileged Identity Management (PIM) role. It leverages Azure Active Directory events to identify when a user activates a PIM role assignment, indicated by the "Add member to role completed (PIM activation)" operation. Monitoring this activity is crucial as PIM roles grant elevated privileges, and unauthorized activation could indicate an adversary attempting to gain privileged access. If confirmed malicious, this could lead to unauthorized administrative actions, data breaches, or further compromise of the Azure environment.

1`azure_monitor_aad` operationName="Add member to role completed (PIM activation)" 
2| rename properties.* as * 
3| rename initiatedBy.user.userPrincipalName as initiatedBy 
4| fillnull 
5| stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime by dest user src vendor_account vendor_product initiatedBy signature 
6| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` 
7| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` 
8| `azure_ad_pim_role_assignment_activated_filter`

Data Source

Name Platform Sourcetype Source
Azure Active Directory Azure icon Azure 'azure:monitor:aad' 'Azure AD'

Macros Used

Name Value
azure_monitor_aad sourcetype=azure:monitor:aad
azure_ad_pim_role_assignment_activated_filter search *
azure_ad_pim_role_assignment_activated_filter is an empty macro by default. It allows the user to filter out any results (false positives) without editing the SPL.

Annotations

- MITRE ATT&CK
+ Kill Chain Phases
+ NIST
+ CIS
- Threat Actors
ID Technique Tactic
T1098.003 Additional Cloud Roles Persistence
Exploitation
Installation
DE.CM
CIS 10

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 Notable Yes
Rule Title %name%
Rule Description %description%
Notable Event Fields user, dest
Creates Risk Event True
This configuration file applies to all detections of type TTP. These detections will use Risk Based Alerting and generate Notable Events.

Implementation

You must install the latest version of Splunk Add-on for Microsoft Cloud Services from Splunkbase(https://splunkbase.splunk.com/app/3110/#/details). You must be ingesting Azure Active Directory events into your Splunk environment. This analytic was written to be used with the azure:monitor:aad sourcetype leveraging the AuditLog log category.

Known False Positives

As part of legitimate administrative behavior, users may activate PIM roles. Filter as needed

Associated Analytic Story

Risk Based Analytics (RBA)

Risk Message:

An Azure AD PIM role assignment was activated by $initiatedBy$ by $user$

Risk Object Risk Object Type Risk Score Threat Objects
user user 35 No Threat Objects

References

Detection Testing

Test Type Status Dataset Source Sourcetype
Validation ✅ Passing N/A N/A N/A
Unit ✅ Passing Dataset eventhub://researchhub1.servicebus.windows.net/azureadhub; azure:monitor:aad
Integration ✅ Passing Dataset eventhub://researchhub1.servicebus.windows.net/azureadhub; azure:monitor:aad

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: 9