windows_azure_powershell_modules_installed.yml

name: Windows Azure Powershell Modules Installed
id: 344bed10-9a8b-4398-8bf3-ec9114125260
version: 1
date: '2026-04-13'
author: Raven Tait, Splunk
status: production
type: Anomaly
description: 'Detects PowerShell Script Block Logging events capturing the usage of Azure AD and cloud management modules commonly abused by threat actors during cloud-focused attacks. Tools such as AADInternals, AzureAD, MSOnline, and Az.Resources provide deep access to Azure Active Directory objects, user accounts, service principals, and tenant configurations — making them high-value for adversaries conducting reconnaissance, privilege escalation, or persistence operations post-compromise.'
data_source:
    - Powershell Script Block Logging 4104
search: '`powershell` EventID="4104" ScriptBlockText IN ("*Install-Module AzureAd*", "*Install-Module AADInternals*", "*Install-Module MSOnline*", "*Install-Module Az.Resources*", "*Install-Module -Name AzureAd*", "*Install-Module -Name MSOnline*", "*Install-Module -Name AADInternal*", "*Install-Module -Name Az.Resources*") | fillnull | stats count by Computer, EventID, ScriptBlockText, signature, signature_id, user_id, vendor_product, Guid, Opcode, Name, Path, ProcessID, ScriptBlockId | rename Computer as dest| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` | `windows_azure_powershell_modules_installed_filter`'
how_to_implement: The detection is based on data that originates from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents. These agents are designed to provide security-related telemetry from the endpoints where the agent is installed. To implement this search, you must ingest logs that contain the process GUID, process name, and parent process. Additionally, you must ingest complete command-line executions. These logs must be processed using the appropriate Splunk Technology Add-ons that are specific to the EDR product. The logs must also be mapped to the `Processes` node of the `Endpoint` data model. Use the Splunk Common Information Model (CIM) to normalize the field names and speed up the data modeling process.
known_false_positives: Legitimate administrators often install these modules for managing Azure environments. Filter alerts for authorized personnel and approved administrative activities.
drilldown_searches:
    - earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
      name: View the detection results for - "$user$" and "$dest$"
      search: '%original_detection_search% | search  user = "$user$" dest = "$dest$"'
    - name: View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$user$" and "$dest$"
      search: '| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$user$", "$dest$") | 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: 7d
      latest_offset: "0"
rba:
    message: Potential Azure Powershell Modules Installed activity observed on $dest$ via $process$.
    risk_objects:
        - field: dest
          type: system
          score: 50
    threat_objects: []
tags:
    analytic_story:
        - Azure Active Directory Account Takeover
        - Azure Active Directory Persistence
        - Azure Active Directory Privilege Escalation
    asset_type: Endpoint
    mitre_attack_id:
        - T1078
        - T1021.007
        - T1136.003
        - T1098
        - T1069.003
    product:
        - Splunk Enterprise
        - Splunk Enterprise Security
        - Splunk Cloud
    security_domain: endpoint
tests:
    - name: True Positive Test
      attack_data:
        - data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1078/snapattack/snapattack.log
          source: XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-PowerShell/Operational
          sourcetype: XmlWinEventLog