Azure Automation Runbook Created or Modified

Severity: informational
Log types: Azure.MonitorActivity
Tags: AZT302, AZT302.1, AZT302.2, AZT302.3, AZT601, AZT601.5, AZT602, AZT605.2, Persistence, Execution, Cloud Accounts, Command and Scripting Interpreter
Reference: https://github.com/elastic/detection-rules/blob/main/rules/integrations/azure/execution_azure_automation_runbook_created_or_modified.toml
Source: github.com/panther-labs/panther-analysis

Detects when an Azure Automation runbook is created, modified, or published. Runbooks contain executable code that can automate tasks within Azure environments. Adversaries may abuse runbooks for persistence, privilege escalation, or execution of malicious scripts. This rule monitors draft creation, runbook modifications, and publishing activities that could indicate unauthorized automation code deployment.

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

Tactic	Techniques
Execution	`T1059` Command and Scripting Interpreter
Persistence	`T1078.004` Valid Accounts: Cloud Accounts

Rule body yaml

AnalysisType: rule
Filename: azure_automation_runbook_created_or_modified.py
RuleID: "Azure.MonitorActivity.Automation.RunbookCreatedOrModified"
DisplayName: "Azure Automation Runbook Created or Modified"
Enabled: true
LogTypes:
  - Azure.MonitorActivity
Severity: Info
Description: >
  Detects when an Azure Automation runbook is created, modified, or published. Runbooks contain
  executable code that can automate tasks within Azure environments. Adversaries may abuse runbooks
  for persistence, privilege escalation, or execution of malicious scripts. This rule monitors draft
  creation, runbook modifications, and publishing activities that could indicate unauthorized automation
  code deployment.
Reports:
  MITRE ATT&CK:
    - TA0003:T1078.004 # Persistence: Cloud Accounts
    - TA0002:T1059 # Execution: Command and Scripting Interpreter
Tags:
  - AZT302
  - AZT302.1
  - AZT302.2
  - AZT302.3
  - AZT601
  - AZT601.5
  - AZT602
  - AZT605.2
  - Persistence
  - Execution
  -  Cloud Accounts
  - Command and Scripting Interpreter
Runbook: |
  1. Query Azure Monitor Activity logs for all operations by the callerIpAddress in the 24 hours before and after the alert to establish activity patterns
  2. Check if the caller has created or modified automation runbooks in the past 90 days to determine if this is typical behavior
  3. Search for other automation-related activities (webhook creation, automation account creation, runbook job executions) from the same caller in the 6 hours around the alert
Reference: https://github.com/elastic/detection-rules/blob/main/rules/integrations/azure/execution_azure_automation_runbook_created_or_modified.toml
SummaryAttributes:
  - resourceId
  - callerIpAddress
  - correlationId
Tests:
  - Name: Runbook Draft Created
    ExpectedResult: true
    Log:
      {
        "time": "2025-12-22T10:30:00.0000000Z",
        "resourceId": "/subscriptions/12345678-1234-1234-1234-123456789abc/resourceGroups/automation-rg/providers/Microsoft.Automation/automationAccounts/MyAutomationAccount/runbooks/MaliciousRunbook",
        "operationName": "MICROSOFT.AUTOMATION/AUTOMATIONACCOUNTS/RUNBOOKS/DRAFT/WRITE",
        "operationVersion": "2021-06-22",
        "category": "Administrative",
        "resultType": "Success",
        "resultSignature": "200",
        "callerIpAddress": "1.1.1.1",
        "correlationId": "a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-abcd-ef1234567890",
        "level": "Informational",
        "location": "eastus",
        "tenantId": "87654321-4321-4321-4321-111111111111"
      }
  - Name: Runbook Modified
    ExpectedResult: true
    Log:
      {
        "time": "2025-12-22T11:15:00.0000000Z",
        "resourceId": "/subscriptions/11111111-1111-1111-1111-111111111111/resourceGroups/prod-automation/providers/Microsoft.Automation/automationAccounts/ProdAccount/runbooks/UpdateScript",
        "operationName": "MICROSOFT.AUTOMATION/AUTOMATIONACCOUNTS/RUNBOOKS/WRITE",
        "category": "Administrative",
        "resultType": "Succeeded",
        "callerIpAddress": "2.2.2.2",
        "correlationId": "b2c3d4e5-f6a7-8901-bcde-f23456789012",
        "level": "Information",
        "location": "westeurope",
        "tenantId": "22222222-2222-2222-2222-222222222222"
      }
  - Name: Runbook Published
    ExpectedResult: true
    Log:
      {
        "time": "2025-12-22T12:00:00.0000000Z",
        "resourceId": "/subscriptions/33333333-3333-3333-3333-333333333333/resourceGroups/test-rg/providers/Microsoft.Automation/automationAccounts/TestAccount/runbooks/TestRunbook",
        "operationName": "MICROSOFT.AUTOMATION/AUTOMATIONACCOUNTS/RUNBOOKS/PUBLISH/ACTION",
        "category": "Administrative",
        "resultType": "Success",
        "callerIpAddress": "3.3.3.3",
        "correlationId": "c3d4e5f6-a7b8-9012-cdef-333333333333",
        "level": "Informational",
        "location": "centralus",
        "tenantId": "33333333-3333-3333-3333-333333333333"
      }
  - Name: Different Operation
    ExpectedResult: false
    Log:
      {
        "time": "2025-12-22T14:00:00.0000000Z",
        "resourceId": "/subscriptions/55555555-5555-5555-5555-555555555555/resourceGroups/automation-rg/providers/Microsoft.Automation/automationAccounts/MyAccount/runbooks/MyRunbook",
        "operationName": "MICROSOFT.AUTOMATION/AUTOMATIONACCOUNTS/RUNBOOKS/READ",
        "category": "Administrative",
        "resultType": "Success",
        "callerIpAddress": "5.5.5.5",
        "correlationId": "e5f6a7b8-c9d0-1234-ef01-567890123456",
        "tenantId": "55555555-5555-5555-5555-555555555555"
      }

Detection logic

Condition

operationName in ["MICROSOFT.AUTOMATION/AUTOMATIONACCOUNTS/RUNBOOKS/DRAFT/WRITE", "MICROSOFT.AUTOMATION/AUTOMATIONACCOUNTS/RUNBOOKS/WRITE", "MICROSOFT.AUTOMATION/AUTOMATIONACCOUNTS/RUNBOOKS/PUBLISH/ACTION"]
resultType in ["Success", "Succeeded"]

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
`operationName`	in	`MICROSOFT.AUTOMATION/AUTOMATIONACCOUNTS/RUNBOOKS/DRAFT/WRITE` `MICROSOFT.AUTOMATION/AUTOMATIONACCOUNTS/RUNBOOKS/PUBLISH/ACTION` `MICROSOFT.AUTOMATION/AUTOMATIONACCOUNTS/RUNBOOKS/WRITE`
`resultType`	in	`Succeeded` `Success`

`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)