Detection rules › Splunk
O365 FullAccessAsApp Permission Assigned
The following analytic detects the assignment of the 'full_access_as_app' permission to an application registration in Office 365 Exchange Online. This detection leverages Office 365 management activity logs and filters Azure Active Directory workload events to identify when the specific permission, identified by GUID 'dc890d15-9560-4a4c-9b7f-a736ec74ec40', is granted. This activity is significant because it provides extensive control over Office 365 operations, including access to all mailboxes and the ability to send mail as any user. If confirmed malicious, this could lead to unauthorized data access, exfiltration, or account compromise. Immediate investigation is required.
Known false positives
- The full_access_as_app API permission may be assigned to legitimate applications. Filter as needed.
MITRE ATT&CK coverage
Telemetry coverage
| Platform | Record / event type |
|---|---|
| Microsoft 365 | Update application. |
Rules detecting the same action
These rules filter on the same operation.
Rule body
name: O365 FullAccessAsApp Permission Assigned
id: 01a510b3-a6ac-4d50-8812-7e8a3cde3d79
version: 9
creation_date: '2024-02-14'
modification_date: '2026-05-13'
author: Mauricio Velazco, Splunk
status: production
type: TTP
description: The following analytic detects the assignment of the 'full_access_as_app' permission to an application registration in Office 365 Exchange Online. This detection leverages Office 365 management activity logs and filters Azure Active Directory workload events to identify when the specific permission, identified by GUID 'dc890d15-9560-4a4c-9b7f-a736ec74ec40', is granted. This activity is significant because it provides extensive control over Office 365 operations, including access to all mailboxes and the ability to send mail as any user. If confirmed malicious, this could lead to unauthorized data access, exfiltration, or account compromise. Immediate investigation is required.
data_source:
- O365 Update application.
search: "`o365_management_activity` Workload=AzureActiveDirectory Operation=\"Update application.\" | eval newvalue = mvindex('ModifiedProperties{}.NewValue',0) | spath input=newvalue | search \"{}.ResourceAppId\"=\"00000002-0000-0ff1-ce00-000000000000\"\"{}.RequiredAppPermissions{}.EntitlementId\"=\"dc890d15-9560-4a4c-9b7f-a736ec74ec40\" | eval Permissions = '{}.RequiredAppPermissions{}.EntitlementId' | fillnull | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime values(Scope) as Scope by signature dest user src vendor_account vendor_product object user_agent | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` | `o365_fullaccessasapp_permission_assigned_filter`"
how_to_implement: You must install the Splunk Microsoft Office 365 Add-on and ingest Office 365 management activity events.
known_false_positives: The full_access_as_app API permission may be assigned to legitimate applications. Filter as needed.
references:
- https://msrc.microsoft.com/blog/2024/01/microsoft-actions-following-attack-by-nation-state-actor-midnight-blizzard/
- https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/2024/01/25/midnight-blizzard-guidance-for-responders-on-nation-state-attack/
- https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1098/002/
finding:
title: User $user$ assigned the full_access_as_app permission to the app registration $object$
entity:
field: user
type: user
score: 50
analytic_story:
- Office 365 Persistence Mechanisms
- NOBELIUM Group
asset_type: O365 Tenant
mitre_attack_id:
- T1098.002
- T1098.003
product:
- Splunk Enterprise
- Splunk Enterprise Security
- Splunk Cloud
category: cloud
security_domain: identity
Stages and Predicates
Stage 1: search
`o365_management_activity` Workload=AzureActiveDirectory Operation="Update application."
Stage 2: eval
| eval newvalue = mvindex('ModifiedProperties{}.NewValue',0)
Stage 3: spath
| spath input=newvalue
Stage 4: search
| search "{}.ResourceAppId"="00000002-0000-0ff1-ce00-000000000000""{}.RequiredAppPermissions{}.EntitlementId"="dc890d15-9560-4a4c-9b7f-a736ec74ec40"
Stage 5: eval
| eval Permissions = '{}.RequiredAppPermissions{}.EntitlementId'
Stage 6: fillnull
| fillnull
Stage 7: stats
| stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime values(Scope) as Scope by signature dest user src vendor_account vendor_product object user_agent
Stage 8: search
| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
Stage 9: search
| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
Stage 10: search
| `o365_fullaccessasapp_permission_assigned_filter`
Indicators
These rows show field, operator, and value matches.
| Field | Kind | Values | Search |
|---|---|---|---|
Operation | eq |
| field:"Operation" kind:eq |
Workload | eq |
| field:"Workload" kind:eq value:"AzureActiveDirectory" |
sourcetype | eq |
| field:"sourcetype" kind:eq value:"o365:management:activity" |
{}.RequiredAppPermissions{}.EntitlementId | eq |
| field:"{}.RequiredAppPermissions{}.EntitlementId" kind:eq |
{}.ResourceAppId | eq |
| field:"{}.ResourceAppId" kind:eq |