Azure Audit Logs: Application Deletion (Delete/Hard Delete) Detected
Flags Azure audit events where an application (or administrative unit) is deleted, including hard deletes.
- Product
- azure
- Service
- auditlogs
- Author
- Austin Songer @austinsonger (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
- Published
- 2021-09-03
- Updated
- 2026-07-31
ATT&CK techniques
ImpactRecon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact
What it detects
This rule flags Azure audit log events where an application is deleted, including both standard deletion and hard deletion, plus deletion of an administrative unit. Application removal can be used to disrupt authentication and services, and attackers may exploit it to impair access or hide changes. The detection relies on Azure audit log telemetry matching specific operation names for delete actions.
Reporting behind it
- learn.microsoft.comhttps://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/monitoring-health/reference-audit-activities#application-proxy
- learn.microsoft.comhttps://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/monitoring-health/reference-audit-activities#core-directory
- techcommunity.microsoft.comhttps://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft-entra-blog/keeping-track-of-object-deletions-in-microsoft-entra-id/4053415
- github.comhttps://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/cloud/azure/audit_logs/azure_application_deleted.yml
Changelog
v5- v5Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v4Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v3Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v2Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
- v1No 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.
title: "Azure Audit Logs: Application Deletion (Delete/Hard Delete) Detected"
id: 5f91c9e8-4d09-4bb9-ac47-72c77d5b61f8
status: test
description: This rule flags Azure audit log events where an application is deleted, including both standard deletion and hard deletion, plus deletion of an administrative unit. Application removal can be used to disrupt authentication and services, and attackers may exploit it to impair access or hide changes. The detection relies on Azure audit log telemetry matching specific operation names for delete actions.
references:
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/monitoring-health/reference-audit-activities#application-proxy
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/monitoring-health/reference-audit-activities#core-directory
- https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/blog/microsoft-entra-blog/keeping-track-of-object-deletions-in-microsoft-entra-id/4053415
- https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/cloud/azure/audit_logs/azure_application_deleted.yml
author: Austin Songer @austinsonger, Huntrule Team
date: 2021-09-03
modified: 2026-04-30
tags:
- attack.impact
- attack.t1489
logsource:
product: azure
service: auditlogs
detection:
selection:
operationName:
- Delete application
- Hard Delete application
- Delete administrative unit
condition: selection
falsepositives:
- Application being deleted may be performed by a system administrator.
- Verify whether the user identity, user agent, and/or hostname should be making changes in your environment.
- Application deleted from unfamiliar users should be investigated. If known behavior is causing false positives, it can be exempted from the rule.
level: medium
license: DRL-1.1
related:
- id: 410d2a41-1e6d-452f-85e5-abdd8257a823
type: derived