Azure Audit Logs: Owner Removed From Application or Service Principal

title: "Azure Audit Logs: Owner Removed From Application or Service Principal"
id: 34d080a4-5adb-4f88-9bb4-d7550f443c86
status: test
description: This rule identifies audit events where an owner is removed from an Azure application or service principal. Removing ownership can reduce or redirect administrative control and may be used to stealthily affect access management in the tenant. The detection relies on Azure audit log events with specific operation names for owner removal activities.
references:
  - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/monitoring-health/reference-audit-activities#core-directory
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/cloud/azure/audit_logs/azure_owner_removed_from_application_or_service_principal.yml
author: Austin Songer @austinsonger, Huntrule Team
date: 2021-09-03
modified: 2026-04-30
tags:
  - attack.stealth
logsource:
  product: azure
  service: auditlogs
detection:
  selection:
    operationName:
      - Remove owner from service principal
      - Remove owner from application
  condition: selection
falsepositives:
  - Owner being removed may be performed by a system administrator.
  - Verify whether the user identity, user agent, and/or hostname should be making changes in your environment.
  - Owner removed 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: 636e30d5-3736-42ea-96b1-e6e2f8429fd6
    type: derived