Windows Security: SeEnableDelegationPrivilege Enabled via AD User Right (Event 4704)

Alerts when Event ID 4704 assigns SeEnableDelegationPrivilege, enabling control over other AD user objects.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v2

Product: windows
Service: security
Author: @neu5ron (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published: 2017-07-30
Updated: 2026-07-31

ATT&CK techniques

Persistence → Priv Esc

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
- T1098Account Manipulation
Priv Esc
- T1098Account Manipulation
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule identifies when an account is granted the SeEnableDelegationPrivilege user right in Active Directory. That privilege can enable an attacker to delegate permissions in ways that may allow control of other AD user objects, making it a high-impact persistence or privilege-escalation vector. It relies on Windows Security auditing event 4704 and matches the PrivilegeList field containing SeEnableDelegationPrivilege.

Reporting behind it

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Windows Security: SeEnableDelegationPrivilege Enabled via AD User Right (Event 4704)

Pivot detection · T1098 · 9 related

Changelog

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.

windows-security-detect-seenabledelegationprivilege-assigned-via-ad-event-id-470-311b6ce2

title: "Windows Security: SeEnableDelegationPrivilege Enabled via AD User Right (Event 4704)"
id: 68e04aa0-6b17-4cf9-8437-e12b4ee6d48d
status: test
description: This rule identifies when an account is granted the SeEnableDelegationPrivilege user right in Active Directory. That privilege can enable an attacker to delegate permissions in ways that may allow control of other AD user objects, making it a high-impact persistence or privilege-escalation vector. It relies on Windows Security auditing event 4704 and matches the PrivilegeList field containing SeEnableDelegationPrivilege.
references:
  - https://blog.harmj0y.net/activedirectory/the-most-dangerous-user-right-you-probably-have-never-heard-of/
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/builtin/security/win_security_alert_active_directory_user_control.yml
author: "@neu5ron, Huntrule Team"
date: 2017-07-30
modified: 2021-12-02
tags:
  - attack.privilege-escalation
  - attack.persistence
  - attack.t1098
logsource:
  product: windows
  service: security
  definition: "Requirements: Audit Policy : Policy Change > Audit Authorization Policy Change, Group Policy : Computer Configuration\\Windows Settings\\Security Settings\\Advanced Audit Policy Configuration\\Audit Policies\\Policy Change\\Audit Authorization Policy Change"
detection:
  selection_base:
    EventID: 4704
  selection_keywords:
    PrivilegeList|contains: SeEnableDelegationPrivilege
  condition: all of selection*
falsepositives:
  - Unknown
level: high
license: DRL-1.1
related:
  - id: 311b6ce2-7890-4383-a8c2-663a9f6b43cd
    type: derived

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