Detection: Windows Azure PowerShell Module Installation Via PowerShell Script

Updated Date: 2026-04-13 ID: 344bed10-9a8b-4398-8bf3-ec9114125260 Author: Raven Tait, Splunk Type: Anomaly Product: Splunk Enterprise Security

Description

This analytic detects the installation of Azure AD and cloud management modules via PowerShell Script Block Logging. Tools such as AADInternals, AzureAD, MSOnline, and Az.Resources provide deep access to Azure Active Directory objects, user accounts, service principals, and tenant configurations making them high-value targets for adversaries conducting reconnaissance, privilege escalation, or persistence operations post-compromise.

Search

 1`powershell`
 2EventID="4104"
 3ScriptBlockText IN (
 4    "*Install-Module -Name AADInternals*",
 5    "*Install-Module -Name Az.Resources*",
 6    "*Install-Module -Name AzureAd*",
 7    "*Install-Module -Name MSOnline*",
 8    "*Install-Module AADInternals*",
 9    "*Install-Module Az.Resources*",
10    "*Install-Module AzureAd*",
11    "*Install-Module MSOnline*"
12)
13
14| fillnull
15
16| stats count min(_time) as firstTime
17        max(_time) as lastTime
18  by Computer EventID ScriptBlockText signature signature_id
19     user_id vendor_product Guid Opcode
20     Name Path ProcessID ScriptBlockId
21
22
23| rename Computer as dest
24
25| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
26
27| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
28
29| `windows_azure_powershell_module_installation_via_powershell_script_filter`

Data Source

Name	Platform	Sourcetype	Source
Powershell Script Block Logging 4104	Windows	`'XmlWinEventLog'`	`'XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-PowerShell/Operational'`

Macros Used

Name	Value
powershell	`(source=WinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-PowerShell/Operational OR source="XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-PowerShell/Operational" OR source=WinEventLog:PowerShellCore/Operational OR source="XmlWinEventLog:PowerShellCore/Operational")`
windows_azure_powershell_module_installation_via_powershell_script_filter	`search *`

windows_azure_powershell_module_installation_via_powershell_script_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
T1078	Valid Accounts	Initial Access
T1021.007	Cloud Services	Persistence
T1136.003	Cloud Account	Privilege Escalation
T1098	Account Manipulation	Stealth
T1069.003	Cloud Groups	Lateral Movement

Delivery

Exploitation

Installation

DE.AE

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 Risk Event	True

This configuration file applies to all detections of type anomaly. These detections will use Risk Based Alerting.

Implementation

The detection is based on data that originates from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents. These agents are designed to provide security-related telemetry from the endpoints where the agent is installed. To implement this search, you must ingest logs that contain the process GUID, process name, and parent process. Additionally, you must ingest complete command-line executions. These logs must be processed using the appropriate Splunk Technology Add-ons that are specific to the EDR product. The logs must also be mapped to the Processes node of the Endpoint data model. Use the Splunk Common Information Model (CIM) to normalize the field names and speed up the data modeling process.

Known False Positives

Legitimate administrators often install these modules for managing Azure environments. Filter alerts for authorized personnel and approved administrative activities.

Associated Analytic Story

Risk Based Analytics (RBA)

Risk Message:

Potential Azure PowerShell module installation observed on $dest$ via script block $ScriptBlockId$.

Risk Object	Risk Object Type	Risk Score	Threat Objects
dest	system	50	No Threat Objects

Detection Testing

Test Type	Status	Dataset	Source	Sourcetype
Validation	✅ Passing	N/A	N/A	N/A
Unit	✅ Passing	Dataset	`XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-PowerShell/Operational`	`XmlWinEventLog`
Integration	✅ Passing	Dataset	`XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-PowerShell/Operational`	`XmlWinEventLog`

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: 1