O365 Multiple Service Principals Created by User

name: O365 Multiple Service Principals Created by User
id: a34e65d0-54de-4b02-9db8-5a04522067f6
version: 7
date: '2026-03-10'
author: Mauricio Velazco, Splunk
data_source:
    - O365 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 window in the Office 365 environment. It leverages O365 logs from the Unified Audit Log, focusing on the 'Add service principal' operation in Azure Active Directory. This activity is significant as it may indicate a compromised user account or unauthorized actions, potentially leading to broader network infiltration or privilege escalation. If confirmed malicious, this behavior could allow attackers to gain persistent access, escalate privileges, or exfiltrate sensitive information.
search: "`o365_management_activity` Workload=AzureActiveDirectory Operation=\"Add service principal.\" | bucket span=10m _time | eval len=mvcount('Actor{}.ID') | eval userType = mvindex('Actor{}.ID',len-1) | search userType = \"User\" | eval displayName = object | stats count earliest(_time) as firstTime latest(_time) as lastTime values(displayName) as displayName dc(displayName) as unique_apps values(user) as user values(src) as src by src_user vendor_account vendor_product dest signature | where unique_apps > 3 | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` | `o365_multiple_service_principals_created_by_user_filter`"
how_to_implement: You must install the Splunk Microsoft Office 365 Add-on and ingest Office 365 management activity events.
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:
        - Office 365 Persistence Mechanisms
        - NOBELIUM Group
    asset_type: O365 Tenant
    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/o365_multiple_service_principals_created/o365_multiple_service_principals_created.log
          source: o365
          sourcetype: o365:management:activity