Windows AD SID History Attribute Modified

name: Windows AD SID History Attribute Modified
id: 1155e47d-307f-4247-beab-71071e3a458c
version: 9
date: '2026-03-10'
author: Mauricio Velazco, Splunk
type: TTP
status: production
data_source:
    - Windows Event Log Security 5136
description: The following analytic detects modifications to the SID History attribute in Active Directory by leveraging event code 5136. This detection uses logs from the `wineventlog_security` data source to identify changes to the sIDHistory attribute. Monitoring this activity is crucial as the SID History attribute can be exploited by adversaries to inherit permissions from other accounts, potentially granting unauthorized access. If confirmed malicious, this activity could allow attackers to maintain persistent access and escalate privileges within the domain, posing a significant security risk.
search: |-
    `wineventlog_security` EventCode=5136 AttributeLDAPDisplayName=sIDHistory OperationType="%%14674"
      | stats values(ObjectDN) as ObjectDN
        BY _time, Computer, SubjectUserName,
           AttributeValue
      | rename Computer as dest
      | `windows_ad_sid_history_attribute_modified_filter`
how_to_implement: To successfully implement this search, you ned to be ingesting eventcode `5136`. The Advanced Security Audit policy setting `Audit Directory Services Changes` within `DS Access` needs to be enabled. Additionally, a SACL needs to be created for AD objects in order to ingest attribute modifications.
known_false_positives: Domain mergers and migrations may generate large volumes of false positives for this analytic.
references:
    - https://adsecurity.org/?p=1772
    - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/adschema/a-sidhistory?redirectedfrom=MSDN
    - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/defender-for-identity/security-assessment-unsecure-sid-history-attribute
    - https://book.hacktricks.xyz/windows-hardening/active-directory-methodology/sid-history-injection
drilldown_searches:
    - name: View the detection results for - "$dest$"
      search: '%original_detection_search% | search  dest = "$dest$"'
      earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
    - name: View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$dest$"
      search: '| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$dest$") starthoursago=168  | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime values(search_name) as "Search Name" values(risk_message) as "Risk Message" values(analyticstories) as "Analytic Stories" values(annotations._all) as "Annotations" values(annotations.mitre_attack.mitre_tactic) as "ATT&CK Tactics" by normalized_risk_object | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`'
      earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
rba:
    message: SID History AD attribute modified by $SubjectUserName$ for $ObjectDN$ on $dest$
    risk_objects:
        - field: dest
          type: system
          score: 50
    threat_objects: []
tags:
    analytic_story:
        - Sneaky Active Directory Persistence Tricks
    asset_type: Endpoint
    mitre_attack_id:
        - T1134.005
    product:
        - Splunk Enterprise
        - Splunk Enterprise Security
        - Splunk Cloud
    security_domain: endpoint
tests:
    - name: True Positive Test
      attack_data:
        - data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1134.005/sid_history2/windows-security.log
          source: XmlWinEventLog:Security
          sourcetype: XmlWinEventLog