GCP Google Workspace: Application ContextAwareAccess Setting Changed

Alerts on Google Workspace application setting changes affecting ContextAwareAccess access levels.

FreeReviewedSigma · Medium · v4

Product: gcp
Service: google_workspace.admin
Author: Bryan Lim (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published: 2024-01-12
Updated: 2026-07-31

ATT&CK techniques

Persistence → Priv Esc

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
- T1098.003Additional Cloud Roles
Priv Esc
- T1098.003Additional Cloud Roles
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule identifies Google Workspace admin events where an application setting beginning with ContextAwareAccess is modified via the admin.googleapis.com CHANGE_APPLICATION_SETTING activity. Changing these access levels can reduce enforcement controls and help an attacker broaden access to Workspace resources. It relies on Google Workspace administrative audit telemetry capturing the event service, event name, and setting_name prefix.

Reporting behind it

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GCP Google Workspace: Application ContextAwareAccess Setting Changed

Pivot detection · T1098.003 · 9 related

Changelog

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.

gcp-admin-sdk-google-workspace-application-access-level-changed-via-contextaware-22f2fb54

title: "GCP Google Workspace: Application ContextAwareAccess Setting Changed"
id: 592963d3-e5fb-4f8a-b74c-35eb0cbd1576
status: test
description: This rule identifies Google Workspace admin events where an application setting beginning with ContextAwareAccess is modified via the admin.googleapis.com CHANGE_APPLICATION_SETTING activity. Changing these access levels can reduce enforcement controls and help an attacker broaden access to Workspace resources. It relies on Google Workspace administrative audit telemetry capturing the event service, event name, and setting_name prefix.
references:
  - https://developers.google.com/admin-sdk/reports/v1/appendix/activity/admin-application-settings
  - https://support.google.com/a/answer/9261439
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/cloud/gcp/gworkspace/admin/gcp_gworkspace_application_access_levels_modified.yml
author: Bryan Lim, Huntrule Team
date: 2024-01-12
tags:
  - attack.persistence
  - attack.privilege-escalation
  - attack.t1098.003
logsource:
  product: gcp
  service: google_workspace.admin
detection:
  selection:
    eventService: admin.googleapis.com
    eventName: CHANGE_APPLICATION_SETTING
    setting_name|startswith: ContextAwareAccess
  condition: selection
falsepositives:
  - Legitimate administrative activities changing the access levels for an application
level: medium
license: DRL-1.1
related:
  - id: 22f2fb54-5312-435d-852f-7c74f81684ca
    type: derived

Convert

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