splunk_escuAnomaly

Azure AD Multiple Service Principals Created by User

The following analytic identifies instances where a single user creates more than three unique OAuth applications within a 10-minute timeframe in Azure AD. It detects this activity by monitoring the 'Add service principal' operation and aggregating data in 10-minute intervals. This behavior is significant as it may indicate an adversary rapidly creating multiple service principals to stage an attack or expand their foothold within the network. If confirmed malicious, this activity could allow attackers to establish persistence, escalate privileges, or access sensitive information within the Azure environment.

MITRE ATT&CK

T1136.003

Detection Query

`azure_monitor_aad` operationName="Add service principal" properties.initiatedBy.user.id=*
  | rename properties.* as *
  | bucket span=10m _time
  | rename targetResources{}.displayName as displayName
  | rename userAgent as user_agent
  | fillnull
  | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime dc(displayName) as unique_apps values(displayName) as displayName values(dest) as dest values(src) as src values(user) as user values(user_agent) as user_agent
    BY src_user vendor_account vendor_product
       signature
  | where unique_apps > 3
  | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
  | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
  | `azure_ad_multiple_service_principals_created_by_user_filter`

Author

Mauricio Velazco, Splunk

Created

2026-03-10

Data Sources

Azure Active Directory Add service principal

References

Tags

Azure Active Directory PersistenceNOBELIUM Group

Raw Content

name: Azure AD Multiple Service Principals Created by User
id: 32880707-f512-414e-bd7f-204c0c85b758
version: 10
date: '2026-03-10'
author: Mauricio Velazco, Splunk
data_source:
    - Azure Active Directory Add service principal
type: Anomaly
status: production
description: The following analytic identifies instances where a single user creates more than three unique OAuth applications within a 10-minute timeframe in Azure AD. It detects this activity by monitoring the 'Add service principal' operation and aggregating data in 10-minute intervals. This behavior is significant as it may indicate an adversary rapidly creating multiple service principals to stage an attack or expand their foothold within the network. If confirmed malicious, this activity could allow attackers to establish persistence, escalate privileges, or access sensitive information within the Azure environment.
search: |-
    `azure_monitor_aad` operationName="Add service principal" properties.initiatedBy.user.id=*
      | rename properties.* as *
      | bucket span=10m _time
      | rename targetResources{}.displayName as displayName
      | rename userAgent as user_agent
      | fillnull
      | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime dc(displayName) as unique_apps values(displayName) as displayName values(dest) as dest values(src) as src values(user) as user values(user_agent) as user_agent
        BY src_user vendor_account vendor_product
           signature
      | where unique_apps > 3
      | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
      | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
      | `azure_ad_multiple_service_principals_created_by_user_filter`
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 AuditLogs log category.
known_false_positives: Certain users or applications may create multiple service principals in a short period of time for legitimate purposes. Filter as needed.
references:
    - https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1136/003/
    - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2024/01/25/midnight-blizzard-guidance-for-responders-on-nation-state-attack/
drilldown_searches:
    - name: View the detection results for - "$src_user$"
      search: '%original_detection_search% | search  src_user = "$src_user$"'
      earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
    - name: View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$src_user$"
      search: '| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$src_user$") 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: Multiple OAuth applications were created by $src_user$ in a short period of time
    risk_objects:
        - field: src_user
          type: user
          score: 20
    threat_objects: []
tags:
    analytic_story:
        - Azure Active Directory Persistence
        - NOBELIUM Group
    asset_type: Azure Active Directory
    mitre_attack_id:
        - T1136.003
    product:
        - Splunk Enterprise
        - Splunk Enterprise Security
        - Splunk Cloud
    security_domain: identity
tests:
    - name: True Positive Test
      attack_data:
        - data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1136.003/azure_ad_multiple_service_principals_created/azure_ad_multiple_service_principals_created.log
          source: Azure AD
          sourcetype: azure:monitor:aad