PingID New MFA Method Registered For User

name: PingID New MFA Method Registered For User
id: 892dfeaf-461d-4a78-aac8-b07e185c9bce
version: 6
date: '2026-03-10'
author: Steven Dick
status: production
type: TTP
description: The following analytic detects the registration of a new Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) method for a PingID (PingOne) account. It leverages JSON logs from PingID, specifically looking for successful device pairing events. This activity is significant as adversaries who gain unauthorized access to a user account may register a new MFA method to maintain persistence. If confirmed malicious, this could allow attackers to bypass existing security measures, maintain long-term access, and potentially escalate their privileges within the compromised environment.
data_source:
    - PingID
search: "`pingid` \"result.message\"=\"Device Paired*\" result.status=\"SUCCESS\"   | rex field=result.message \"Device (Unp)?(P)?aired (?<device_extract>.+)\" | eval src = coalesce('resources{}.ipaddress','resources{}.devicemodel'), user = upper('actors{}.name'), reason = 'result.message' | eval object=CASE(ISNOTNULL('resources{}.devicemodel'),'resources{}.devicemodel',true(),device_extract) | eval action=CASE(match('result.message',\"Device Paired*\"),\"created\",match('result.message', \"Device Unpaired*\"),\"deleted\") | stats count min(_time) as firstTime, max(_time) as lastTime by src,user,object,action,reason | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` | `pingid_new_mfa_method_registered_for_user_filter`"
how_to_implement: Target environment must ingest JSON logging from a PingID(PingOne) enterprise environment, either via Webhook or Push Subscription.
known_false_positives: False positives may be generated by normal provisioning workflows for user device registration.
references:
    - https://twitter.com/jhencinski/status/1618660062352007174
    - https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1098/005/
    - https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1556/006/
    - https://docs.pingidentity.com/r/en-us/pingoneforenterprise/p14e_subscriptions?tocId=3xhnxjX3VzKNs3SXigWnQA
drilldown_searches:
    - name: View the detection results for - "$user$" and "$src$"
      search: '%original_detection_search% | search  user = "$user$" src = "$src$"'
      earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
    - name: View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$user$" and "$src$"
      search: '| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$user$", "$src$") 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: An MFA configuration change was detected for [$user$], the device [$object$] was $action$.
    risk_objects:
        - field: user
          type: user
          score: 50
        - field: src
          type: system
          score: 50
    threat_objects: []
tags:
    analytic_story:
        - Compromised User Account
    asset_type: Identity
    mitre_attack_id:
        - T1621
        - T1556.006
        - T1098.005
    product:
        - Splunk Enterprise
        - Splunk Enterprise Security
        - Splunk Cloud
    security_domain: access
tests:
    - name: True Positive Test
      attack_data:
        - data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1621/pingid/pingid.log
          source: PINGID
          sourcetype: _json