Power Apps - Multiple users access a malicious link after launching new app

Status: available
Severity: high
Time window: 14d
Group by: AccountUpn, ActorName, Source, SrcUsername, Url
Source: github.com/Azure/Azure-Sentinel

Identifies a chain of events, where a new Power App is created, followed by mulitple users launching the app within the detection window and clicking on the same malicious URL.

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

Tactic	Techniques
Initial Access	`T1189` Drive-by Compromise, `T1566` Phishing

Rule body kusto

id: 4bd7e93a-0646-4e02-8dcb-aa16d16618f4
kind: Scheduled
name: Power Apps - Multiple users access a malicious link after launching new app
description: Identifies a chain of events, where a new Power App is created, followed
  by mulitple users launching the app within the detection window and clicking on
  the same malicious URL.
severity: High
status: Available
requiredDataConnectors:
  - connectorId: PowerPlatformAdmin
    dataTypes:
      - PowerPlatformAdminActivity
  - connectorId: MicrosoftThreatProtection
    dataTypes:
      - UrlClickEvents
  - connectorId: ThreatIntelligence
    dataTypes:
      - ThreatIntelligenceIndicator
  - connectorId: ThreatIntelligenceTaxii
    dataTypes:
      - ThreatIntelligenceIndicator
  - connectorId: MicrosoftDefenderThreatIntelligence
    dataTypes:
      - ThreatIntelligenceIndicator
  - connectorId: ThreatIntelligence
    dataTypes:
      - ThreatIntelligenceIndicator
  - connectorId: ThreatIntelligenceTaxii
    dataTypes:
      - ThreatIntelligenceIndicator
  - connectorId: MicrosoftDefenderThreatIntelligence
    dataTypes:
      - ThreatIntelligenceIndicator
  - connectorId: MicrosoftThreatProtection
    dataTypes:
      - UrlClickEvents
  - connectorId: AzureActiveDirectoryIdentityProtection
    dataTypes:
      - SecurityAlert
queryFrequency: 1h
queryPeriod: 14d
triggerOperator: gt
triggerThreshold: 0
tactics:
  - InitialAccess
relevantTechniques:
  - T1189
  - T1566
query: |
  // Define a threshold (distinct_user_launch_threshold) for
  // the minimum number of users who launched an app
  // to be in scope of this detection
  let distinct_user_launch_threshold = 2;
  // Define a threshold for the minumum number of users
  // who clicked the same malicious link after launching the app
  // to be in scope of this detection
  let distinct_user_url_click_threshold = 2;
  let query_frequency = 1h;
  let query_lookback = 14d;
  let new_app_creation_activity = materialize(
      PowerPlatformAdminActivity
      | where TimeGenerated >= ago (query_lookback)
      | where EventOriginalType == "CreatePowerApp"
      | extend Properties = tostring(PropertyCollection)
      | extend SrcIpAddr = extract(@'"enduser.ip_address","Value":"([^"]+)"', 1, Properties)
      | extend SrcIpAddr = iif(SrcIpAddr startswith '::ffff:', replace_string(SrcIpAddr, '::ffff:', ''), SrcIpAddr)
      | extend AppId = extract(@'"powerplatform.analytics.resource.power_app.id","Value":"([^"]+)"', 1, Properties)
      | extend AppId = tolower(replace_string(AppId, '/providers/Microsoft.PowerApps/apps/', ''))
      | extend
          AppName = extract(@'"powerplatform.analytics.resource.power_app.display_name","Value":"([^"]+)"', 1, Properties),
          EnvironmentId = extract(@'"powerplatform.analytics.resource.environment.id","Value":"([^"]+)"', 1, Properties)
      | project-rename
          AppCreatedTime = TimeGenerated,
          AppCreator = ActorName,
          AppCreatorIpAddr = SrcIpAddr
      );
  let distinct_apps = new_app_creation_activity
      | distinct AppName;
  let new_app_launch_activity = materialize(
      new_app_creation_activity
      | join kind=inner (
          PowerPlatformAdminActivity
          | where TimeGenerated >= ago (query_lookback)
          | where EventOriginalType == "LaunchPowerApp"
          | where PropertyCollection has_any (distinct_apps)
          | extend Properties = tostring(PropertyCollection)
          | extend AppName = extract(@'"powerplatform.analytics.resource.power_app.display_name","Value":"([^"]+)"', 1, Properties)
          | summarize FirstAppLaunchTime = min(TimeGenerated) by ActorName, AppName)
          on AppName
      | where FirstAppLaunchTime > AppCreatedTime
      );
  let new_app_launch_users = new_app_launch_activity
      | summarize LaunchCount = dcount(ActorName) by AppName
      | where LaunchCount > distinct_user_launch_threshold
      | join kind=inner new_app_launch_activity on AppName
      | summarize
          by
          ActorName,
          FirstAppLaunchTime,
          AppName,
          AppId,
          EnvironmentId,
          AppCreator,
          AppCreatorIpAddr;
  let detected_urls = union isfuzzy=true
          (
          SecurityAlert
          | where TimeGenerated >= ago (query_lookback)
          | where Entities has_cs '"Type":"url"'
          | mv-expand todynamic(Entities)
          | where tostring(Entities.Type) == "url"
          | project Url = tostring(Entities.Url), Source = "SecurityAlert"
          ),
          (
          ThreatIntelligenceIndicator
          | where TimeGenerated >= ago(query_lookback)
          | summarize LatestIndicatorTime = arg_max(TimeGenerated, *) by IndicatorId
          | where Active == true and ExpirationDateTime > now()
          | where isnotempty(isnotempty(Url))
          | project Url, Source = "ThreatIntelligence"
          )
      | summarize by Url, Source;
  let url_click_events = materialize(
      union isfuzzy=true
          (
          UrlClickEvents
          | where TimeGenerated >= ago(query_frequency)
          | where isnotempty(ThreatTypes)
          | join kind=inner (new_app_launch_users) on $left.AccountUpn == $right.ActorName
          | where TimeGenerated between (FirstAppLaunchTime .. (FirstAppLaunchTime + 1h))
          | summarize by ActorName, Url, Source = "MicrosoftDefender"
          ),
          (
          _Im_WebSession
          | where TimeGenerated >= ago(query_frequency)
          | join kind=inner (new_app_launch_users) on $left.SrcUsername == $right.ActorName
          | join kind=inner (detected_urls) on Url
          | where TimeGenerated between (FirstAppLaunchTime .. (FirstAppLaunchTime + 1h))
          | summarize by ActorName, Url, Source
          )
      );
  let distinct_url_click_events_count = toscalar(
      url_click_events
      | summarize DistinctUserCount = dcount(ActorName) by Url
      | where DistinctUserCount > distinct_user_url_click_threshold
      | summarize sum(DistinctUserCount)
      );
  url_click_events
  | summarize DistinctUserCount = dcount(ActorName) by Url
  | where DistinctUserCount >= distinct_user_url_click_threshold
  | join kind=inner url_click_events on Url
  | join kind=inner (new_app_launch_users) on ActorName
  | extend
      PowerAppsEntityId = 27593,
      DataverseId = 32780,
      AccountName = tostring(split(ActorName, '@')[0]),
      UPNSuffix = tostring(split(ActorName, '@')[1])
  | project
      FirstAppLaunchTime,
      AppCreator,
      AppName,
      AppId,
      ImpactedUser = ActorName,
      AccountName,
      UPNSuffix,
      EnvironmentId,
      Url,
      Source,
      PowerAppsEntityId
eventGroupingSettings:
  aggregationKind: AlertPerResult
entityMappings:
  - entityType: CloudApplication
    fieldMappings:
      - identifier: AppId
        columnName: PowerAppsEntityId
      - identifier: InstanceName
        columnName: AppName
  - entityType: URL
    fieldMappings:
      - identifier: Url
        columnName: Url
  - entityType: Account
    fieldMappings:
      - identifier: FullName
        columnName: AppCreator
  - entityType: Account
    fieldMappings:
      - identifier: UPNSuffix
        columnName: UPNSuffix
      - identifier: Name
        columnName: AccountName
alertDetailsOverride:
  alertDisplayNameFormat: 'Possible malicious app detected - {{AppName}} '
  alertDescriptionFormat: 'Multiple users opened a malicious link after launching
    app {{AppName}}.  Click here to navigate to the Power Apps Portal to examine the
    app: https://make.powerapps.com/environments/{{EnvironmentId}}/apps'
customDetails:
  Environment: EnvironmentId
  PowerAppsAppName: AppName
  PowerAppsApp: AppId
  AppCreator: AppCreator
version: 3.2.0

Stages and Predicates

Parameters

let distinct_user_launch_threshold = 2;
let distinct_user_url_click_threshold = 2;
let query_frequency = 1h;
let query_lookback = 14d;

Let binding: `new_app_creation_activity`

let new_app_creation_activity = materialize(
    PowerPlatformAdminActivity
    | where TimeGenerated >= ago (query_lookback)
    | where EventOriginalType == "CreatePowerApp"
    | extend Properties = tostring(PropertyCollection)
    | extend SrcIpAddr = extract(@'"enduser.ip_address","Value":"([^"]+)"', 1, Properties)
    | extend SrcIpAddr = iif(SrcIpAddr startswith '::ffff:', replace_string(SrcIpAddr, '::ffff:', ''), SrcIpAddr)
    | extend AppId = extract(@'"powerplatform.analytics.resource.power_app.id","Value":"([^"]+)"', 1, Properties)
    | extend AppId = tolower(replace_string(AppId, '/providers/Microsoft.PowerApps/apps/', ''))
    | extend
        AppName = extract(@'"powerplatform.analytics.resource.power_app.display_name","Value":"([^"]+)"', 1, Properties),
        EnvironmentId = extract(@'"powerplatform.analytics.resource.environment.id","Value":"([^"]+)"', 1, Properties)
    | project-rename
        AppCreatedTime = TimeGenerated,
        AppCreator = ActorName,
        AppCreatorIpAddr = SrcIpAddr
    );

Derived from query_lookback.

Let binding: `distinct_apps`

let distinct_apps = new_app_creation_activity
    | distinct AppName;

Derived from new_app_creation_activity.

Let binding: `new_app_launch_activity`

let new_app_launch_activity = materialize(
    new_app_creation_activity
    | join kind=inner (
        PowerPlatformAdminActivity
        | where TimeGenerated >= ago (query_lookback)
        | where EventOriginalType == "LaunchPowerApp"
        | where PropertyCollection has_any (distinct_apps)
        | extend Properties = tostring(PropertyCollection)
        | extend AppName = extract(@'"powerplatform.analytics.resource.power_app.display_name","Value":"([^"]+)"', 1, Properties)
        | summarize FirstAppLaunchTime = min(TimeGenerated) by ActorName, AppName)
        on AppName
    | where FirstAppLaunchTime > AppCreatedTime
    );

Derived from query_lookback, new_app_creation_activity, distinct_apps.

Let binding: `new_app_launch_users`

let new_app_launch_users = new_app_launch_activity
    | summarize LaunchCount = dcount(ActorName) by AppName
    | where LaunchCount > distinct_user_launch_threshold
    | join kind=inner new_app_launch_activity on AppName
    | summarize
        by
        ActorName,
        FirstAppLaunchTime,
        AppName,
        AppId,
        EnvironmentId,
        AppCreator,
        AppCreatorIpAddr;

Derived from distinct_user_launch_threshold, new_app_launch_activity.

Let binding: `detected_urls`

let detected_urls = union isfuzzy=true
        (
        SecurityAlert
        | where TimeGenerated >= ago (query_lookback)
        | where Entities has_cs '"Type":"url"'
        | mv-expand todynamic(Entities)
        | where tostring(Entities.Type) == "url"
        | project Url = tostring(Entities.Url), Source = "SecurityAlert"
        ),
        (
        ThreatIntelligenceIndicator
        | where TimeGenerated >= ago(query_lookback)
        | summarize LatestIndicatorTime = arg_max(TimeGenerated, *) by IndicatorId
        | where Active == true and ExpirationDateTime > now()
        | where isnotempty(isnotempty(Url))
        | project Url, Source = "ThreatIntelligence"
        )
    | summarize by Url, Source;

Derived from query_lookback.

Let binding: `distinct_url_click_events_count`

let distinct_url_click_events_count = toscalar(
    url_click_events
    | summarize DistinctUserCount = dcount(ActorName) by Url
    | where DistinctUserCount > distinct_user_url_click_threshold
    | summarize sum(DistinctUserCount)
    );

Derived from distinct_user_url_click_threshold, url_click_events.

union `isfuzzy=true` (2 sources)

Each leg below queries one source; the rule matches if any leg does. Sources: UrlClickEvents, _Im_WebSession

Leg 1: `UrlClickEvents`

UrlClickEvents
        | where TimeGenerated >= ago(query_frequency)
        | where isnotempty(ThreatTypes)
        | join kind=inner (new_app_launch_users) on $left.AccountUpn == $right.ActorName
        | where TimeGenerated between (FirstAppLaunchTime .. (FirstAppLaunchTime + 1h))
        | summarize by ActorName, Url, Source = "MicrosoftDefender"

Leg 2: `_Im_WebSession`

_Im_WebSession
        | where TimeGenerated >= ago(query_frequency)
        | join kind=inner (new_app_launch_users) on $left.SrcUsername == $right.ActorName
        | join kind=inner (detected_urls) on Url
        | where TimeGenerated between (FirstAppLaunchTime .. (FirstAppLaunchTime + 1h))
        | summarize by ActorName, Url, Source

Applied to the combined result

| summarize DistinctUserCount = dcount(ActorName) by Url | where DistinctUserCount >= distinct_user_url_click_threshold | join kind=inner url_click_events on Url | join kind=inner (new_app_launch_users) on ActorName | extend
    PowerAppsEntityId = 27593,
    DataverseId = 32780,
    AccountName = tostring(split(ActorName, '@')[0]),
    UPNSuffix = tostring(split(ActorName, '@')[1]) | project
    FirstAppLaunchTime,
    AppCreator,
    AppName,
    AppId,
    ImpactedUser = ActorName,
    AccountName,
    UPNSuffix,
    EnvironmentId,
    Url,
    Source,
    PowerAppsEntityId

Indicators

Each row is a field, operator, and value that the rule matches. The corpus column counts how many other rules in the catalog look for the same combination: high numbers point to widely-used, community-vetted indicators. Blank or 1 shows that the indicator is specific to this rule.

Field	Kind	Values
`Active`	eq	`true` transforms: `cased` corpus 68 (kusto 68)
`DistinctUserCount`	ge	`2` transforms: `cased`
`Entities`	match	`"Type":"url"` transforms: `cased`, `term`
`EventOriginalType`	eq	`LaunchPowerApp` transforms: `cased`
`FirstAppLaunchTime`	gt	`AppCreatedTime` transforms: `cased`
`LaunchCount`	gt	`2` transforms: `cased`
`PropertyCollection`	match	`distinct_apps`
`ThreatTypes`	is_not_null	(no value, null check)
`Type`	eq	`url` transforms: `tostring`, `cased` corpus 3 (kusto 3)

Output fields

Fields the rule emits when it matches. Chronicle authors list these in the outcome block; they appear on the detection and $risk_score drives alerting. Sentinel / Defender XDR rules build them up through project / summarize / extend stages. Sentinel maps these into alert fields via entityMappings and customDetails; Defender XDR custom detections surface them as alert fields directly.

Field	Source
`AccountName`	`project`
`AppCreator`	`project`
`AppId`	`project`
`AppName`	`project`
`EnvironmentId`	`project`
`FirstAppLaunchTime`	`project`
`ImpactedUser`	`project`
`PowerAppsEntityId`	`project`
`Source`	`project`
`UPNSuffix`	`project`
`Url`	`project`

`j` / `k`	Scroll down / up
`d` / `u`	Half-page down / up
`gg` / `G`	Top / bottom
`h` / `l`	History back / forward
`f`	Follow link (`Shift` = new tab)
`/`	Focus search
`?`	Toggle this help
`↑` / `↓`	Navigate search results
`Enter`	Open highlighted result
`Esc`	Close results / dialog

`type:`	`events` / `rules` / `providers`
`vendor:`	`sigma` / `elastic` / `splunk` / `kusto` / `chronicle` (vendor name alone also works: `sigma:`, `kql:`, `secops:`…)
`tactic:`	TA-id, slug, or name: `credential_access`, `TA0006`
`technique:`	technique or sub-technique ID: `T1003`, `T1003.001` (alias `tech:`)
`severity:`	`critical` / `high` / `medium` / `low` / `informational` (alias `sev:`)
`risk_score`	Numeric comparison on the Elastic risk score (0 to 100): `risk_score>50`, `risk_score<=20`, `risk_score=99` (alias `risk`; Elastic rules only)
`stages:`	Rules with exactly N pipeline stages
`correlation:`	`single_event` / `sequence` / `alternatives` / `alternatives_cross_log` / `all_required` / `correlated`
`with:`	Co-occurrence event-id; stacks (`with:4624 with:4769`) to require all, while a comma list in one occurrence (`with:4624,4769`) is an either-or group. Implies multi-event
`like:`	Structural neighbors of a rule slug (equivalents + subsumption stricter / broader): `like:comsvcs_lsass_memory_dump-splunk-sysmon`
`groupby:`	Entity-grouping substring match against `group_by_keys`: `groupby:user`, `groupby:host`
`uses:`	Rules whose predicate tree touches the field (any kind, any value): `uses:CommandLine`
`excludes:`	Rules with top-level `not()` clauses on the field (FP whitelists): `excludes:ParentImage`
`field:` / `value:`	Predicate search; narrows rule cards to those with a matching leaf and drives the indicator tier. Unquoted = substring, wildcards allowed (`value:mimikatz`)
`indicator:`	Shorthand for `field:F value:V`: `indicator:Image=*\powershell.exe`
`kind:`	Filter by predicate kind. Narrows rule cards to those carrying a matching predicate leaf (`vendor:elastic kind:cidr_match`) and drives the indicator tier: `contains` / `starts_with` / `ends_with` / `regex` / `cidr` / `eq` / `in` … (operator aliases `op:`/`match:`)
`has:` / `no:`	`sample`, `field`, `notes`, `refs`, `trace`, `thirdparty`, `rule`, `pattern`, `timewindow`, `threshold`, `newterms`, `sigma`/`elastic`/`splunk`/`kusto`/`chronicle`
`-op:val`	Exclude matches; works on most operators but not `type:`/`like:`/`has:`/`no:` (use `no:<flag>` to exclude a rule flag): `tactic:execution -vendor:splunk`. Standalone `-kind:`/`-field:`/`-value:` drop every rule carrying a matching predicate leaf (`type:rules -kind:is_null`)
`field:"…"` / `value:"…"`	Quoted value = anchored exact match (also allows spaces): `value:"net user"`
`a,b`	Comma = OR inside one operator (`vendor:sigma,elastic`, `severity:high,critical`); repeating a facet merges the same way. `field:`/`value:` never split (literal commas)
`vendors:` / `stage:`	Singular and plural spellings fold to the canonical operator and value: `tactics:` = `tactic:`, `type:event` = `type:events`, `correlation:sequences` = `correlation:sequence`, `has:thresholds` = `has:threshold`
`"quoted phrase"`	Exact-match a multi-word phrase (free text)

Power Apps - Multiple users access a malicious link after launching new app

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

Rule body kusto

Stages and Predicates

Parameters

Let binding: `new_app_creation_activity`

Let binding: `distinct_apps`

Let binding: `new_app_launch_activity`

Let binding: `new_app_launch_users`

Let binding: `detected_urls`

Let binding: `distinct_url_click_events_count`

union `isfuzzy=true` (2 sources)

Leg 1: `UrlClickEvents`

Leg 2: `_Im_WebSession`

Applied to the combined result

Indicators

Output fields

Keyboard shortcuts

Search operators

Power Apps - Multiple users access a malicious link after launching new app

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

Rule body kusto

Stages and Predicates

Parameters

Let binding: new_app_creation_activity

Let binding: distinct_apps

Let binding: new_app_launch_activity

Let binding: new_app_launch_users

Let binding: detected_urls

Let binding: distinct_url_click_events_count

union isfuzzy=true (2 sources)

Leg 1: UrlClickEvents

Leg 2: _Im_WebSession

Applied to the combined result

Indicators

Output fields

Let binding: `new_app_creation_activity`

Let binding: `distinct_apps`

Let binding: `new_app_launch_activity`

Let binding: `new_app_launch_users`

Let binding: `detected_urls`

Let binding: `distinct_url_click_events_count`

union `isfuzzy=true` (2 sources)

Leg 1: `UrlClickEvents`

Leg 2: `_Im_WebSession`