Detection rules › YARA-L

O365 Entra ID App Client Secret Added, Updated or Deleted

Severity
medium
Type
alert
Time window
5m
Match by
userid
Author
Google Cloud Security
Source
github.com/chronicle/detection-rules

Secrets added to applications have legitimate purposes, but can also be a method of persistence. This alert will trigger on creation, modification or delete of a client secret

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

Telemetry coverage

Rules detecting the same action

These rules filter on the same operation.

Rule body

// Copyright 2025 Google LLC. Licensed under Apache-2.0.

rule o365_entra_id_client_secret_add_update_delete_in_app {

  meta:
    author = "Google Cloud Security"
    description = "Secrets added to applications have legitimate purposes, but can also be a method of persistence. This alert will trigger on creation, modification or delete of a client secret"
    rule_id = "mr_24ac7907-9d86-4089-901c-61f8ff1e7730"
    rule_name = "O365 Entra ID App Client Secret Added, Updated or Deleted"
    tactic = "TA0003"
    technique = "T1098.001"
    type = "alert"
    platform = "azure"
    data_source = "o365"
    severity = "Medium"
    priority = "Medium"

  events:
    $app.metadata.event_type = "USER_RESOURCE_UPDATE_CONTENT"
    $app.metadata.product_name = "Office 365"
    $app.metadata.product_event_type = /Update application.*Certificates and secrets management/
    $app.metadata.vendor_name = "Microsoft"
    $app.security_result.action = "ALLOW"
    $app.principal.user.userid = $userid

  match:
    $userid over 5m

  outcome:
    $risk_score = 65
    $event_count = count_distinct($app.metadata.id)
    $security_summary = array_distinct($app.security_result.summary)
    $user_agent = array_distinct($app.network.http.user_agent)
    $target_entra_id_application = array_distinct(re.capture($app.network.http.user_agent,`\"AppId\":\"(.*)`))
    //added to populate alert graph with additional context
    $principal_user_userid = array_distinct($app.principal.user.userid)

  condition:
    $app
}

YARA-L rule structure

Condition

Fires when at least one $app event in the 5m window.

Events

$app USER_RESOURCE_UPDATE_CONTENT

  • metadata.product_event_type matches "Update application.*Certificates and secrets management"
  • security_result.action = "ALLOW"

Match and correlation

Match key
$userid (principal.user.userid)
Within
5m

Outcome

Outcome variables add context to a detection. When the rule generates an alert, $risk_score is displayed with it.

FieldExpression
risk_score65
event_countcount_distinct($app.metadata.id)
security_summaryarray_distinct($app.security_result.summary)
user_agentarray_distinct($app.network.http.user_agent)
target_entra_id_applicationarray_distinct(re.capture($app.network.http.user_agent,`\"AppId\":\"(.*)`))
principal_user_useridarray_distinct($app.principal.user.userid)