Azure AD Multiple Failed MFA Requests For User

Original Source: [splunk source]
Name:Azure AD Multiple Failed MFA Requests For User
id:264ea131-ab1f-41b8-90e0-33ad1a1888ea
version:6
date:2024-09-30
author:Mauricio Velazco, Gowthamaraj Rajendran, Splunk
status:production
type:TTP
Description:The following analytic identifies multiple failed multi-factor authentication (MFA) requests for a single user within an Azure AD tenant. It leverages Azure AD Sign-in Logs, specifically error code 500121, to detect more than 10 failed MFA attempts within 10 minutes. This behavior is significant as it may indicate an adversary attempting to bypass MFA by bombarding the user with repeated authentication prompts. If confirmed malicious, this activity could lead to unauthorized access, allowing attackers to compromise user accounts and potentially escalate their privileges within the environment.
Data_source:
  • -Azure Active Directory Sign-in activity
search:`azure_monitor_aad` category=SignInLogs operationName="Sign-in activity" properties.status.errorCode=500121 properties.status.additionalDetails!="MFA denied; user declined the authentication"
| rename properties.* as *
| bucket span=10m _time
| stats count min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime by user, status.additionalDetails, appDisplayName, user_agent
| where count > 10
| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)`
| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
| `azure_ad_multiple_failed_mfa_requests_for_user_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 through an EventHub. This analytic was written to be used with the azure:monitor:aad sourcetype leveraging the Signin log category.
known_false_positives:Multiple Failed MFA requests may also be a sign of authentication or application issues. Filter as needed.
References:
  -https://www.mandiant.com/resources/blog/russian-targeting-gov-business
  -https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2022/03/lapsus-and-solar-winds-hackers-both-use-the-same-old-trick-to-bypass-mfa/
  -https://therecord.media/russian-hackers-bypass-2fa-by-annoying-victims-with-repeated-push-notifications/
  -https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1621/
  -https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1078/004/
  -https://www.cisa.gov/sites/default/files/publications/fact-sheet-implement-number-matching-in-mfa-applications-508c.pdf
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 ("$user$") starthoursago=168 | 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:'$info_min_time$'
latest_offset:'$info_max_time$'
tags:
  analytic_story:
    - 'Azure Active Directory Account Takeover'
  asset_type:Azure Active Directory
  confidence:90
  impact:60
  message:User $user$ failed to complete MFA authentication more than 9 times in a timespan of 10 minutes.
  mitre_attack_id:
    - 'T1586'
    - 'T1586.003'
    - 'T1621'
    - 'T1078'
    - 'T1078.004'
  observable:
    name:'user'
    type:'User'
    - role:
      - 'Victim'
  product:
    - 'Splunk Enterprise'
    - 'Splunk Enterprise Security'
    - 'Splunk Cloud'
  required_fields:
    - '_time'
    - 'properties.status.errorCode'
    - 'category'
    - 'properties.authenticationDetails'
    - 'user'
    - 'user_agent'
    - 'operationName'
  risk_score:54
  security_domain:identity

tests:
name:'True Positive Test'
 attack_data:
  data: https://media.githubusercontent.com/media/splunk/attack_data/master/datasets/attack_techniques/T1621/multiple_failed_mfa_requests/azure-audit.log
  source: Azure AD
  sourcetype: azure:monitor:aad
  update_timestamp: True
manual_test:None