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Description

The following analytic identifies multiple failed multi-factor authentication (MFA) requests for a single user within an Azure AD tenant. It leverages Azure AD Sign-in Logs, specifically error code 500121, to detect more than 10 failed MFA attempts within 10 minutes. This behavior is significant as it may indicate an adversary attempting to bypass MFA by bombarding the user with repeated authentication prompts. If confirmed malicious, this activity could lead to unauthorized access, allowing attackers to compromise user accounts and potentially escalate their privileges within the environment.

  • Type: TTP

  • Product: Splunk Enterprise, Splunk Enterprise Security, Splunk Cloud

  • Last Updated: 2024-05-20
  • Author: Mauricio Velazco, Gowthamaraj Rajendran, Splunk
  • ID: 264ea131-ab1f-41b8-90e0-33ad1a1888ea

Annotations

ATT&CK

ATT&CK

ID Technique Tactic
T1586 Compromise Accounts Resource Development
T1586.003 Cloud Accounts Resource Development
T1621 Multi-Factor Authentication Request Generation Credential Access
T1078 Valid Accounts Defense Evasion, Persistence, Privilege Escalation, Initial Access
T1078.004 Cloud Accounts Defense Evasion, Persistence, Privilege Escalation, Initial Access
Kill Chain Phase
  • Weaponization
  • Exploitation
  • Installation
  • Delivery
NIST
  • DE.CM
CIS20
  • CIS 10
CVE 


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 `azure_monitor_aad` category=SignInLogs operationName="Sign-in activity" properties.status.errorCode=500121 properties.status.additionalDetails!="MFA denied; user declined the authentication" 
| rename properties.* as * 
| bucket span=10m _time 
| stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime by user, status.additionalDetails, appDisplayName, user_agent 
| where count > 10 
| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` 
| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` 
| `azure_ad_multiple_failed_mfa_requests_for_user_filter`

Macros

The SPL above uses the following Macros:

:information_source: azure_ad_multiple_failed_mfa_requests_for_user_filter is a empty macro by default. It allows the user to filter out any results (false positives) without editing the SPL.

Required fields

List of fields required to use this analytic.

  • _time
  • properties.status.errorCode
  • category
  • properties.authenticationDetails
  • user
  • user_agent
  • operationName

How To Implement

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 through an EventHub. This analytic was written to be used with the azure:monitor:aad sourcetype leveraging the Signin log category.

Known False Positives

Multiple Failed MFA requests may also be a sign of authentication or application issues. Filter as needed.

Associated Analytic Story

RBA

Risk Score Impact Confidence Message
54.0 60 90 User $user$ failed to complete MFA authentication more than 9 times in a timespan of 10 minutes.

:information_source: The Risk Score is calculated by the following formula: Risk Score = (Impact * Confidence/100). Initial Confidence and Impact is set by the analytic author.

Reference

Test Dataset

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 | version: 4