Detection rules › Sigma
Azure Sign-In With Axios User Agent
Detects sign-in attempts in Azure/Entra ID logs where the user agent contains "axios", indicating potential use of automated credential harvesting or AiTM phishing infrastructure. Axios is a Node.js HTTP client abused to intercept and replay stolen credentials and MFA tokens. When triaging results, analysts should: - Check the sign-in risk level, MFA status, and conditional access results for signs of bypass. - Look for sign-ins from unusual locations or IPs, especially if the same IP targets multiple accounts. - Prioritize successful sign-ins over failed ones, as they may indicate a completed credential replay or AiTM attack.
MITRE ATT&CK coverage
| Tactic | Techniques |
|---|---|
| Credential Access | T1557 Adversary-in-the-Middle |
| Collection | T1557 Adversary-in-the-Middle |
Rule body yaml
title: Azure Sign-In With Axios User Agent
id: ea1a07f0-3dac-47a2-aeb4-86f5379ba2b4
status: experimental
description: |
Detects sign-in attempts in Azure/Entra ID logs where the user agent contains "axios",
indicating potential use of automated credential harvesting or AiTM phishing infrastructure.
Axios is a Node.js HTTP client abused to intercept and replay stolen credentials and MFA tokens.
When triaging results, analysts should:
- Check the sign-in risk level, MFA status, and conditional access results for signs of bypass.
- Look for sign-ins from unusual locations or IPs, especially if the same IP targets multiple accounts.
- Prioritize successful sign-ins over failed ones, as they may indicate a completed credential replay or AiTM attack.
references:
- https://thehackernews.com/2025/09/axios-abuse-and-salty-2fa-kits-fuel.html
- https://www.proofpoint.com/us/blog/threat-insight/http-client-tools-exploitation-account-takeover-attacks
author: Marco Pedrinazzi (@pedrinazziM) (InTheCyber)
date: 2026-04-28
tags:
- attack.credential-access
- attack.collection
- attack.t1557
- detection.threat-hunting
logsource:
product: azure
service: signinlogs
detection:
selection:
userAgent|contains: 'axios'
condition: selection
falsepositives:
- Legitimate internal or third-party applications built with Node.js that use Axios as their HTTP client for authenticating against Azure/Entra ID.
level: low
Stages and Predicates
Stage 0: condition
selectionStage 1: selection
selection:
userAgent|contains: 'axios'
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 |
|---|---|---|
userAgent | match |
|