Azure AD PIM Role Assignment Activated

SPLUNK detection rule by Mauricio Velazco, Splunk · Apache-2.0

The following analytic detects the activation of an Azure AD Privileged Identity Management (PIM) role. It leverages Azure Active Directory events to identify when a user activates a PIM role assignment, indicated by the "Add member to role completed (PIM activation)" operation. Monitoring this activity is crucial as PIM roles grant elevated privileges, and unauthorized activation could indicate an adversary attempting to gain privileged access. If confirmed malicious, this could lead to unauthorized administrative actions, data breaches, or further compromise of the Azure environment.

name: Azure AD PIM Role Assignment Activated
id: 952e80d0-e343-439b-83f4-808c3e6fbf2e
version: 15
creation_date: '2023-04-26'
modification_date: '2026-05-13'
author: Mauricio Velazco, Splunk
status: production
type: TTP
description: The following analytic detects the activation of an Azure AD Privileged Identity Management (PIM) role. It leverages Azure Active Directory events to identify when a user activates a PIM role assignment, indicated by the "Add member to role completed (PIM activation)" operation. Monitoring this activity is crucial as PIM roles grant elevated privileges, and unauthorized activation could indicate an adversary attempting to gain privileged access. If confirmed malicious, this could lead to unauthorized administrative actions, data breaches, or further compromise of the Azure environment.
data_source:
    - Azure Active Directory
search: |-
    `azure_monitor_aad` operationName="Add member to role completed (PIM activation)"
      | rename properties.* as *
      | rename initiatedBy.user.userPrincipalName as initiatedBy
      | fillnull
      | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime
        BY dest user src
           vendor_account vendor_product initiatedBy
           signature
      | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
      | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
      | `azure_ad_pim_role_assignment_activated_filter`
how_to_implement: You must install the latest version of Splunk Add-on for Microsoft Cloud Services from Splunkbase(https://splunkbase.splunk.com/app/3110/#/details). You must be ingesting Azure Active Directory events into your Splunk environment. This analytic was written to be used with the azure:monitor:aad sourcetype leveraging the AuditLog log category.
known_false_positives: As part of legitimate administrative behavior, users may activate PIM roles. Filter as needed
references:
    - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/privileged-identity-management/pim-configure
    - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/privileged-identity-management/pim-how-to-activate-role
    - https://microsoft.github.io/Azure-Threat-Research-Matrix/PrivilegeEscalation/AZT401/AZT401/
drilldown_searches:
    - name: View the detection results for - "$user$"
      search: '%original_detection_search% | search  user = "$user$"'
      earliest_offset: $info_min_time$
      latest_offset: $info_max_time$
    - name: View risk events for the last 7 days for - "$user$"
      search: '| from datamodel Risk.All_Risk | search normalized_risk_object IN ("$user$") | stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime values(search_name) as "Search Name" values(risk_message) as "Risk Message" values(analyticstories) as "Analytic Stories" values(annotations._all) as "Annotations" values(annotations.mitre_attack.mitre_tactic) as "ATT&CK Tactics" by normalized_risk_object | `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` | `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`'
      earliest_offset: 7d
      latest_offset: "0"
finding:
    title: An Azure AD PIM role assignment was activated by $initiatedBy$ by $user$
    entity:
        field: user
        type: user
        score: 50
analytic_story:
    - Azure Active Directory Privilege Escalation
    - Azure Active Directory Persistence
    - Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters
asset_type: Azure Active Directory
mitre_attack_id:
    - T1098.003
product:
    - Splunk Enterprise
    - Splunk Enterprise Security
    - Splunk Cloud
category: cloud
security_domain: identity
tests:
    - name: True Positive Test
      attack_data:
        - data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1098.003/azure_ad_pim_role_activated/azure-audit.log
          source: eventhub://researchhub1.servicebus.windows.net/azureadhub;
          sourcetype: azure:monitor:aad
      test_type: unit

[[ currentRule.title && currentRule.title.length > 60 ? currentRule.title.slice(0, 60) + '…' : currentRule.title ]]

384705c6-466b-488f-a97f-15745803e429

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