PingID Multiple Failed MFA Requests For User

name: PingID Multiple Failed MFA Requests For User
id: c1bc706a-0025-4814-ad30-288f38865036
version: 6
date: '2026-03-10'
author: Steven Dick
status: production
type: TTP
description: The following analytic identifies multiple failed multi-factor authentication (MFA) requests for a single user within a PingID environment. It triggers when 10 or more MFA prompts fail within 10 minutes, using JSON logs from PingID. This activity is significant as it may indicate an adversary attempting to bypass MFA by bombarding the user with repeated authentication requests. If confirmed malicious, this could lead to unauthorized access, as the user might eventually accept the fraudulent request, compromising the security of the account and potentially the entire network.
data_source:
    - PingID
search: "`pingid` \"result.status\" IN (\"FAILURE,authFail\",\"UNSUCCESSFUL_ATTEMPT\") | eval time = _time, src = coalesce('resources{}.ipaddress','resources{}.devicemodel'), user = upper('actors{}.name'), object = 'resources{}.devicemodel', reason = 'result.message'| bucket span=10m _time | stats dc(_raw) AS mfa_prompts min(time) as firstTime, max(time) as lastTime values(src) as src by user, reason, _time | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` | where mfa_prompts >= 10 | `pingid_multiple_failed_mfa_requests_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://therecord.media/russian-hackers-bypass-2fa-by-annoying-victims-with-repeated-push-notifications/
    - https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1621/
    - https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1110/
    - https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1078/004/
    - https://docs.pingidentity.com/r/en-us/pingoneforenterprise/p14e_subscriptions?tocId=3xhnxjX3VzKNs3SXigWnQA
drilldown_searches:
    - name: View the detection results for - "$user$"
      search: '%original_detection_search% | search  user = "$user$"'
      earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
    - name: View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$user$"
      search: '| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$user$") 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 Failed MFA requests $mfa_prompts$ for user $user$ between $firstTime$ and $lastTime$.
    risk_objects:
        - field: user
          type: user
          score: 50
    threat_objects: []
tags:
    analytic_story:
        - Compromised User Account
    asset_type: Identity
    mitre_attack_id:
        - T1621
        - T1078
        - T1110
    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