Possible Azure Browser SSO Misuse (via image_load)

title: Possible Azure Browser SSO Misuse (via image_load)
id: f7d6b8ff-290d-5579-a459-c7b77a2a03cd
status: stable
description: This rule detects abusing Azure Browser SSO by requesting OAuth 2.0 refresh tokens for an Azure-AD-authenticated Windows user (i.e. the machine is joined to Azure AD and a user logs in with their Azure AD account) wanting to perform SSO authentication in the browser. An adversary can use this to authenticate to Azure AD in a browser as that user.
references:
    - https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1574/001/
    - https://posts.specterops.io/requesting-azure-ad-request-tokens-on-azure-ad-joined-machines-for-browser-sso-2b0409caad30
author: Huntrule Team
date: 2026-02-19
tags:
    - attack.persistence
    - attack.privilege-escalation
    - attack.execution
    - attack.stealth
    - attack.t1574.001
logsource:
    category: image_load
    product: windows
detection:
    selection:
        ImageLoaded: 'C:\Windows\System32\MicrosoftAccountTokenProvider.dll'
    filter_main_bgtaskhost:
        Image|startswith:
            - 'C:\Windows\System32\'
            - 'C:\Windows\SysWOW64\'
        Image|endswith: '\BackgroundTaskHost.exe'
    filter_optional_devenv:
        Image|startswith:
            - 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\'
            - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\'
        Image|endswith: '\IDE\devenv.exe'
    filter_optional_ie:
        Image:
            - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe'
            - 'C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe'
    filter_optional_edge_1:
        - Image|startswith: 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\EdgeWebView\Application\'
        - Image|endswith: '\WindowsApps\MicrosoftEdge.exe'
        - Image:
              - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\Edge\Application\msedge.exe'
              - 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Edge\Application\msedge.exe'
    filter_optional_edge_2:
        Image|startswith:
            - 'C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft\EdgeCore\'
            - 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft\EdgeCore\'
        Image|endswith:
            - '\msedge.exe'
            - '\msedgewebview2.exe'
    filter_optional_onedrive:
        Image|endswith: '\AppData\Local\Microsoft\OneDrive\OneDrive.exe'
    filter_optional_null:
        Image:
    condition: selection and not 1 of filter_main_* and not 1 of filter_optional_*
falsepositives:
    - Unknown
level: low