Windows AD add Self to Group

name: Windows AD add Self to Group
id: 065f2701-b7ea-42f5-9ec4-fbc2261165f9
version: 11
creation_date: '2024-07-01'
modification_date: '2026-06-01'
author: Dean Luxton
status: production
type: TTP
description: This analytic detects instances where a user adds themselves to an Active Directory (AD) group. This activity is a common indicator of privilege escalation, where a user attempts to gain unauthorized access to higher privileges or sensitive resources. By monitoring AD logs, this detection identifies such suspicious behavior, which could be part of a larger attack strategy aimed at compromising critical systems and data.
data_source:
    - Windows Event Log Security 4728
search: |-
    `wineventlog_security` EventCode IN (4728)
      | where lower(user)=lower(src_user)
      | stats min(_time) as _time dc(user) as usercount, values(user) as user values(user_category) as user_category values(src_user_category) as src_user_category values(dvc) as dvc
        BY signature, Group_Name, src_user,
           dest
      | `windows_ad_add_self_to_group_filter`
how_to_implement: This analytic requires eventCode 4728 to be ingested.
known_false_positives: No false positives have been identified at this time.
references: []
finding:
    title: $user$ added themselves to AD Group $Group_Name$
    entity:
        field: user
        type: user
        score: 50
analytic_story:
    - Sneaky Active Directory Persistence Tricks
    - Medusa Ransomware
    - Active Directory Privilege Escalation
asset_type: Endpoint
mitre_attack_id:
    - T1098
product:
    - Splunk Enterprise
    - Splunk Enterprise Security
    - Splunk Cloud
category: endpoint
security_domain: audit