Windows Unusual Count Of Users Fail To Auth Wth ExplicitCredentials

name: Windows Unusual Count Of Users Fail To Auth Wth ExplicitCredentials
id: 14f414cf-3080-4b9b-aaf6-55a4ce947b93
version: 12
creation_date: '2021-04-14'
modification_date: '2026-05-13'
author: Mauricio Velazco, Splunk
status: production
type: Anomaly
description: The following analytic identifies a source user failing to authenticate with multiple users using explicit credentials on a host. It leverages Windows Event Code 4648 and calculates the standard deviation for each host, using the 3-sigma rule to detect anomalies. This behavior is significant as it may indicate a Password Spraying attack, where an adversary attempts to gain initial access or elevate privileges. If confirmed malicious, this activity could lead to unauthorized access, privilege escalation, or further compromise of the Active Directory environment.
data_source:
    - Windows Event Log Security 4648
search: |-
    `wineventlog_security` EventCode=4648 Caller_User_Name!=*$ Target_User_Name!=*$
      | bucket span=5m _time
      | stats dc(Target_User_Name) AS unique_accounts values(Target_User_Name) as user values(dest) as dest values(src_ip) as src_ip
        BY _time, Computer, Caller_User_Name
      | eventstats avg(unique_accounts) as comp_avg , stdev(unique_accounts) as comp_std
        BY Computer
      | eval upperBound=(comp_avg+comp_std*3)
      | eval isOutlier=if(unique_accounts > 10 and unique_accounts >= upperBound, 1, 0)
      | search isOutlier=1
      | `windows_unusual_count_of_users_fail_to_auth_wth_explicitcredentials_filter`
how_to_implement: To successfully implement this search, you need to be ingesting Windows Event Logs from domain controllers as well as member servers and workstations. The Advanced Security Audit policy setting `Audit Logon` within `Logon/Logoff` needs to be enabled.
known_false_positives: A source user failing attempting to authenticate multiple users on a host is not a common behavior for regular systems. Some applications, however, may exhibit this behavior in which case sets of users hosts can be added to an allow list. Possible false positive scenarios include systems where several users connect to like Mail servers, identity providers, remote desktop services, Citrix, etc.
references:
    - https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1110/003/
    - https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/threat-protection/auditing/event-4648
    - https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/security/threat-protection/auditing/basic-audit-logon-events
intermediate_findings:
    entities:
        - field: user
          type: user
          score: 20
          message: Potential password spraying attack from $Computer$
        - field: Computer
          type: system
          score: 20
          message: Potential password spraying attack from $Computer$
analytic_story:
    - Active Directory Password Spraying
    - Insider Threat
    - Volt Typhoon
asset_type: Endpoint
mitre_attack_id:
    - T1110.003
product:
    - Splunk Enterprise
    - Splunk Enterprise Security
    - Splunk Cloud
category: endpoint
security_domain: endpoint