Added Credentials to Existing Application

Status: test
Severity: high
Log source: product azure, service auditlogs
Author: Mark Morowczynski '@markmorow', Bailey Bercik '@baileybercik'
Source: github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma

Detects when a new credential is added to an existing application. Any additional credentials added outside of expected processes could be a malicious actor using those credentials.

Known false positives

When credentials are added/removed as part of the normal working hours/workflows

MITRE ATT&CK coverage

Tactic	Techniques
Persistence	`T1098.001` Account Manipulation: Additional Cloud Credentials
Privilege Escalation	`T1098.001` Account Manipulation: Additional Cloud Credentials

Telemetry coverage

Platform	Record / event type
Azure	Update application – Certificates and secrets management

Rules detecting the same action

These rules filter on the same operation.

Rule body

title: Added Credentials to Existing Application
id: cbb67ecc-fb70-4467-9350-c910bdf7c628
status: test
description: Detects when a new credential is added to an existing application. Any additional credentials added outside of expected processes could be a malicious actor using those credentials.
references:
    - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/architecture/security-operations-applications#application-credentials
author: Mark Morowczynski '@markmorow', Bailey Bercik '@baileybercik'
date: 2022-05-26
modified: 2025-07-18
tags:
    - attack.privilege-escalation
    - attack.t1098.001
    - attack.persistence
logsource:
    product: azure
    service: auditlogs
detection:
    selection:
        properties.message:
            - Update application – Certificates and secrets management
            - Update Service principal/Update Application
    condition: selection
falsepositives:
    - When credentials are added/removed as part of the normal working hours/workflows
level: high

Stages and Predicates

Stage 0: `condition`

selection

Stage 1: `selection`

selection:
    properties.message:
        - Update application – Certificates and secrets management
        - Update Service principal/Update Application

Indicators

These rows show field, operator, and value matches.

Field	Kind	Values	Search
`properties.message`	eq	`Update Service principal/Update Application` `Update application – Certificates and secrets management`	`field:"properties.message" kind:eq`