Azure AD Service Principal New Client Credentials

name: Azure AD Service Principal New Client Credentials
id: e3adc0d3-9e4b-4b5d-b662-12cec1adff2a
version: 12
date: '2026-03-10'
author: Mauricio Velazco, Gowthamaraj Rajendran, Splunk
status: production
type: TTP
description: The following analytic detects the addition of new credentials to Service Principals and Applications in Azure AD. It leverages Azure AD AuditLogs, specifically monitoring the "Update application*Certificates and secrets management" operation. This activity is significant as it may indicate an adversary attempting to maintain persistent access or escalate privileges within the Azure environment. If confirmed malicious, attackers could use these new credentials to log in as the service principal, potentially compromising sensitive accounts and resources, leading to unauthorized access and control over the Azure environment.
data_source:
    - Azure Active Directory
search: |-
    `azure_monitor_aad` category=AuditLogs operationName="Update application*Certificates and secrets management "
      | rename properties.* as *
      | rename targetResources{}.* as *
      | fillnull
      | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime
        BY dest user src
           vendor_account vendor_product modifiedProperties{}.newValue
           signature
      | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
      | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
      | `azure_ad_service_principal_new_client_credentials_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. This analytic was written to be used with the azure:monitor:aad sourcetype leveraging the Signin log category.
known_false_positives: Service Principal client credential modifications may be part of legitimate administrative operations. Filter as needed.
references:
    - https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1098/001/
    - https://microsoft.github.io/Azure-Threat-Research-Matrix/Persistence/AZT501/AZT501-2/
    - https://hausec.com/2021/10/26/attacking-azure-azure-ad-part-ii/
    - https://www.inversecos.com/2021/10/how-to-backdoor-azure-applications-and.html
    - https://www.mandiant.com/resources/blog/apt29-continues-targeting-microsoft
    - https://microsoft.github.io/Azure-Threat-Research-Matrix/PrivilegeEscalation/AZT405/AZT405-3/
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: New credentials added for Service Principal by $user$
    risk_objects:
        - field: user
          type: user
          score: 50
    threat_objects: []
tags:
    analytic_story:
        - Azure Active Directory Persistence
        - Azure Active Directory Privilege Escalation
        - NOBELIUM Group
        - Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters
    asset_type: Azure Active Directory
    mitre_attack_id:
        - T1098.001
    product:
        - Splunk Enterprise
        - Splunk Enterprise Security
        - Splunk Cloud
    security_domain: threat
tests:
    - name: True Positive Test
      attack_data:
        - data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1098.001/azure_ad_service_principal_credentials/azure-audit.log
          source: Azure AD
          sourcetype: azure:monitor:aad