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[Entra ID] Authentication Method Changed for Privileged Account

Description

Detects changes to authentication methods on privileged accounts. This may indicate an attacker added a new method to maintain access.
Rule type
Scheduled
Version
1.0.0
Declared status
Available
Query frequency
1d
Query period
1d
Trigger
gt 0

Declared MITRE coverage

Declared sources

Metadata from the source file. No dependencies inferred from KQL.

Connectors

Data types

KQL query

Original query, unchanged.

let queryperiod = 1d;
let queryfrequency = 1d;
let security_info_actions = dynamic(["User registered security info", "User changed default security info", "User deleted security info", "Admin updated security info", "Admin deleted security info", "Admin registered security info"]);
let VIPUsers = (
    IdentityInfo
    | where TimeGenerated > ago(queryperiod)
    | mv-expand AssignedRoles
    | where AssignedRoles contains 'Admin'
    | summarize by AccountUPN);
AuditLogs
| where TimeGenerated > ago(queryperiod)
| where Category =~ "UserManagement"
| where ActivityDisplayName in (security_info_actions)
| extend Initiator = tostring(InitiatedBy.user.userPrincipalName)
| extend IP = tostring(InitiatedBy.user.ipAddress)
| extend InitiatingAppServicePrincipalId = tostring(InitiatedBy.app.servicePrincipalId)
| extend InitiatingAppServicePrincipalName = tostring(InitiatedBy.app.servicePrincipalName)
| mv-apply TargetResource = TargetResources on
    (
    where TargetResource.type =~ "User"
    | extend Target = tostring(TargetResource.userPrincipalName)
    )
| where Target in~ (VIPUsers)
// Uncomment the line below if you are experiencing high volumes of Target entities. If this is uncommented, the Target column will not be mapped to an entity.
//| summarize Start=min(TimeGenerated), End=max(TimeGenerated), Actions = make_set(ResultReason, MaxSize=8), Targets=make_set(Target, MaxSize=256) by Initiator, IP, Result
// Comment out this line below, if line above is used.
| summarize
    Start=min(TimeGenerated),
    End=max(TimeGenerated),
    Actions = make_set(ResultReason, MaxSize=8),
    Target_ResourceName = make_set(TargetResources)
    by
    Initiator,
    IP,
    Result,
    Targets = Target,
    InitiatingAppServicePrincipalId,
    InitiatingAppServicePrincipalName,
    bin(TimeGenerated, 1h)
| mv-expand Actions
| extend
    Action = tostring(Actions),
    InitiatorName = tostring(split(Initiator, '@', 0)[0]),
    InitiatorUPNSuffix = tostring(split(Initiator, '@', 1)[0]),
    //TargetName = iff(tostring(Targets) has "[", "", tostring(split(Targets, '@', 0)[0])),
    TargetUPNSuffix = iff(tostring(Targets) has "[", "", tostring(split(Targets, '@', 1)[0]))
| extend Source_Network_IPLocation = ""
| project
        Alert_Category_en = "Entra ID",
    Alert_SubCategory_en = "Anomaly Identity Privilege Modification",
    Alert_Name_en = "Authentication Method Changed for Privileged Account",
    Alert_Description_en =  strcat(
                            "At Taiwan time: ",
                            format_datetime(datetime_utc_to_local(TimeGenerated, "Asia/Taipei"), "yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss"),
                            "in the Microsoft Entra ID tenant"
    ", user:  ",
                            iff(isnotempty(Initiator), Initiator, ""),
                            " at IP: ",
                            IP,
                            ", performed an authentication method change"
                        ),
    Alert_TriageStep_en = strcat(
                          "1. Check whether there are successful records for the authentication method change."
    "2. Confirm with user: ",
                          iff(isnotempty(Initiator), Initiator, ""),
                          " whether the change was performed."
                      ),
    Alert_Containment_en = strcat(
                           "1. Immediately revoke all existing sign-in tokens and sessions (sign-in session / refresh token) for the account, and force password and MFA reset.  ",
                           "2. Immediately disable the account."
                       ),
    Alert_Remediation_en = strcat(
                           "1. Strengthen security info governance for Admin/VIP accounts and require additional verification or manual review for security info changes.",
                           "2. Enforce advanced Conditional Access policies for high-privilege accounts, including MFA/compliant devices/risk-based sign-in policies, and block change activity from unknown locations or new devices.  ",
                           "3. Establish and optimize real-time alerts and automated response SOAR for security info changes, such as automatically blocking accounts/notifying SOC/requesting user confirmation.  "
                       ),
            Alert_Time_TW = datetime_utc_to_local(TimeGenerated, "Asia/Taipei"),
    Alert_Time_UTC0 = TimeGenerated,
    Event_Action = Actions,
    Event_Status = Result,
    //Event_Description = ActivityDisplayName,
    Source_Identity_FullName = Initiator,
    //Source_Identity_ID = ActorID,
    Source_Identity_Type = iff(isnotempty(Initiator), "User", "Service"),
    Source_Network_IPAddress = IP,
    Source_Network_IPLocation = Source_Network_IPLocation,
    Source_Resource_Name = InitiatingAppServicePrincipalName,
    Target_Identity_FullName = Targets,
    Target_Identity_Type = "User",
    Target_Resource_Type = "Entra ID"
//CreateTime:2025/1/5
//EditTime:
//Editor:Lancy
//Version v1.0

Declared entities

AccountIP

Related content

Links established from declared identifiers and solution manifests.

Source provenance

GitHub

Displayed values come from files in Azure/Azure-Sentinel. They describe the published template, not your workspace configuration.

Source identifier
9f7197b6-eeb2-46f3-83b1-a2c4dfca46a0
Additional source files 2Solutions/eDCRule/Analytic Rules/[Entra ID] Authentication Method Changed for Privileged Account.yamlsource ↗Solutions/eDCRule/Data/Solution_eDCRule.jsonsolution-membership ↗
GSTEP / CATALOG TRACKING

Added to catalog : 16 Sept 2026 · 05:49 UTC
Last change observed : 16 Sept 2026 · 05:49 UTC

GSTEP sync dates, separate from the source content’s publication dates.