Azure Audit Logs: App Granted Microsoft Graph/Exchange/SharePoint/Azure AD Permissions

Alerts on Azure AD audit log entries where an app/service principal is granted delegated or app-role permissions to Microsoft services.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v5

Product: azure
Service: auditlogs
Author: Bailey Bercik '@baileybercik', Mark Morowczynski '@markmorow' (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published: 2022-07-10
Updated: 2026-07-31

Analysis Detection

ATT&CK techniques

Cred Access

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
- T1528Steal Application Access Token
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule identifies events where an application is granted delegated permissions or app role permissions related to Microsoft Graph, Exchange, SharePoint, or Azure AD. Such grants can enable an attacker-controlled app registration to access resources with elevated privileges, persisting access through OAuth or application permissions. The detection relies on Azure audit log messages indicating delegated permission grants or app role assignments to service principals.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1528 — drag to rearrange

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Azure Audit Logs: App Granted Microsoft Graph/Exchange/SharePoint/Azure AD Permissions

Pivot detection · T1528 · 9 related

Changelog

v5
Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
v4
Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
v3
Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
v2
Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
v1
No changelog recorded for this version.2026-07-30

Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.

azure-ad-audit-logs-app-granted-microsoft-graph-exchange-sharepoint-azure-ad-per-c1d147ae

title: "Azure Audit Logs: App Granted Microsoft Graph/Exchange/SharePoint/Azure AD Permissions"
id: 398cd516-4ff8-464b-bc14-48f5198ca578
status: test
description: This rule identifies events where an application is granted delegated permissions or app role permissions related to Microsoft Graph, Exchange, SharePoint, or Azure AD. Such grants can enable an attacker-controlled app registration to access resources with elevated privileges, persisting access through OAuth or application permissions. The detection relies on Azure audit log messages indicating delegated permission grants or app role assignments to service principals.
references:
  - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/architecture/security-operations-applications#application-granted-highly-privileged-permissions
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/cloud/azure/audit_logs/azure_app_permissions_msft.yml
author: Bailey Bercik '@baileybercik', Mark Morowczynski '@markmorow', Huntrule Team
date: 2022-07-10
tags:
  - attack.credential-access
  - attack.t1528
logsource:
  product: azure
  service: auditlogs
detection:
  selection:
    properties.message:
      - Add delegated permission grant
      - Add app role assignment to service principal
  condition: selection
falsepositives:
  - When the permission is legitimately needed for the app
level: high
license: DRL-1.1
related:
  - id: c1d147ae-a951-48e5-8b41-dcd0170c7213
    type: derived

Convert

This rule as a query you can run. Uses no unlock credit.

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