Microsoft Entra ID Health Monitoring Agent Registry Keys Access

// ADHealth Monitoring Agent Registry Key
let aadHealthMonAgentRegKey = "\\REGISTRY\\MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Microsoft Online\\Reporting\\MonitoringAgent";
// Filter out known processes
let aadConnectHealthProcs = dynamic ([
    'Microsoft.Identity.Health.Adfs.DiagnosticsAgent.exe',
    'Microsoft.Identity.Health.Adfs.InsightsService.exe',
    'Microsoft.Identity.Health.Adfs.MonitoringAgent.Startup.exe',
    'Microsoft.Identity.Health.Adfs.PshSurrogate.exe',
    'Microsoft.Identity.Health.Common.Clients.ResourceMonitor.exe',
    'Microsoft.Identity.Health.AadSync.MonitoringAgent.Startup.exe',
    'Microsoft.Identity.AadConnect.Health.AadSync.Host.exe',
    'Microsoft.Azure.ActiveDirectory.Synchronization.Upgrader.exe',
    'miiserver.exe'
]);
(union isfuzzy=true
(
SecurityEvent
| where EventID == '4656'
| where EventData has aadHealthMonAgentRegKey
| extend EventData = parse_xml(EventData).EventData.Data
| mv-expand bagexpansion=array EventData
| evaluate bag_unpack(EventData)
| extend Key = tostring(column_ifexists('@Name', "")), Value = column_ifexists('#text', "")
| evaluate pivot(Key, any(Value), TimeGenerated, Computer, EventID)
| extend ObjectName = column_ifexists("ObjectName", ""),
    ObjectType = column_ifexists("ObjectType", "")
| where ObjectType == 'Key'
| where ObjectName == aadHealthMonAgentRegKey
| extend SubjectUserName = column_ifexists("SubjectUserName", ""),
    SubjectDomainName = column_ifexists("SubjectDomainName", ""),
    ProcessName = column_ifexists("ProcessName", "")
| extend Process = split(ProcessName, '\\', -1)[-1],
    Account = strcat(SubjectDomainName, "\\", SubjectUserName)
| where Process !in (aadConnectHealthProcs)
| summarize StartTime = max(TimeGenerated), EndTime = min(TimeGenerated), count() by EventID, Account, Computer, Process, SubjectUserName, SubjectDomainName, ObjectName, ObjectType, ProcessName
),
(
WindowsEvent
| where EventID == '4656' and EventData has aadHealthMonAgentRegKey
| extend ObjectType = tostring(EventData.ObjectType)
| where ObjectType == 'Key'
| extend ObjectName = tostring(EventData.ObjectName)
| where ObjectName == aadHealthMonAgentRegKey
| extend ProcessName = tostring(EventData.ProcessName)
| extend Process = tostring(split(ProcessName, '\\')[-1])
| where Process !in (aadConnectHealthProcs)
| extend Account =  strcat(tostring(EventData.SubjectDomainName),"\\", tostring(EventData.SubjectUserName))
| extend SubjectUserName = tostring(EventData.SubjectUserName)
| extend SubjectDomainName = tostring(EventData.SubjectDomainName)
| summarize StartTime = max(TimeGenerated), EndTime = min(TimeGenerated), count() by EventID, Account, Computer, Process, SubjectUserName, SubjectDomainName, ObjectName, ObjectType, ProcessName
),
(
SecurityEvent
| where EventID == '4663'
| where ObjectType == 'Key'
| where ObjectName == aadHealthMonAgentRegKey
| extend Process = tostring(split(ProcessName, '\\', -1)[-1])
| where Process !in (aadConnectHealthProcs)
| summarize StartTime = max(TimeGenerated), EndTime = min(TimeGenerated), count() by EventID, Account, Computer, Process, SubjectUserName, SubjectDomainName, ObjectName, ObjectType, ProcessName
),
  (
WindowsEvent
| where EventID == '4663' and EventData has aadHealthMonAgentRegKey
| extend ObjectType = tostring(EventData.ObjectType)
| where ObjectType == 'Key'
| extend ObjectName = tostring(EventData.ObjectName)
| where ObjectName == aadHealthMonAgentRegKey
| extend ProcessName = tostring(EventData.ProcessName)
| extend Process = tostring(split(ProcessName, '\\')[-1])
| where Process !in (aadConnectHealthProcs)
| extend Account =  strcat(tostring(EventData.SubjectDomainName),"\\", tostring(EventData.SubjectUserName))
| extend SubjectUserName = tostring(EventData.SubjectUserName)
| extend SubjectDomainName = tostring(EventData.SubjectDomainName)
| summarize StartTime = max(TimeGenerated), EndTime = min(TimeGenerated), count() by EventID, Account, Computer, Process, SubjectUserName, SubjectDomainName, ObjectName, ObjectType, ProcessName
)
)
// You can filter out potential machine accounts
//| where AccountType != 'Machine'
| extend HostName = tostring(split(Computer, ".")[0]), DomainIndex = toint(indexof(Computer, '.'))
| extend HostNameDomain = iff(DomainIndex != -1, substring(Computer, DomainIndex + 1), Computer)
| extend Name = tostring(split(Account, "\\")[1]), NTDomain = tostring(split(Account, "\\")[0])
| project-away DomainIndex

name: Microsoft Entra ID Health Monitoring Agent Registry Keys Access
relevantTechniques:
- T1005
id: f819c592-c5f9-4d5c-a79f-1e6819863533
OriginalUri: https://github.com/Azure/Azure-Sentinel/blob/master/Detections/SecurityEvent/AADHealthMonAgentRegKeyAccess.yaml
requiredDataConnectors:
- dataTypes:
  - SecurityEvent
  connectorId: SecurityEvents
- dataTypes:
  - SecurityEvents
  connectorId: WindowsSecurityEvents
- dataTypes:
  - WindowsEvent
  connectorId: WindowsForwardedEvents
version: 1.1.6
severity: Medium
triggerThreshold: 0
metadata:
  source:
    kind: Community
  support:
    tier: Community
  categories:
    domains:
    - Security - Others
    - Identity
  author:
    name: Microsoft Security Research
tags:
- SimuLand
queryPeriod: 1d
entityMappings:
- fieldMappings:
  - identifier: FullName
    columnName: Account
  - identifier: Name
    columnName: Name
  - identifier: NTDomain
    columnName: NTDomain
  entityType: Account
- fieldMappings:
  - identifier: FullName
    columnName: Computer
  - identifier: HostName
    columnName: HostName
  - identifier: DnsDomain
    columnName: HostNameDomain
  entityType: Host
queryFrequency: 1d
query: |
  // ADHealth Monitoring Agent Registry Key
  let aadHealthMonAgentRegKey = "\\REGISTRY\\MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Microsoft Online\\Reporting\\MonitoringAgent";
  // Filter out known processes
  let aadConnectHealthProcs = dynamic ([
      'Microsoft.Identity.Health.Adfs.DiagnosticsAgent.exe',
      'Microsoft.Identity.Health.Adfs.InsightsService.exe',
      'Microsoft.Identity.Health.Adfs.MonitoringAgent.Startup.exe',
      'Microsoft.Identity.Health.Adfs.PshSurrogate.exe',
      'Microsoft.Identity.Health.Common.Clients.ResourceMonitor.exe',
      'Microsoft.Identity.Health.AadSync.MonitoringAgent.Startup.exe',
      'Microsoft.Identity.AadConnect.Health.AadSync.Host.exe',
      'Microsoft.Azure.ActiveDirectory.Synchronization.Upgrader.exe',
      'miiserver.exe'
  ]);
  (union isfuzzy=true
  (
  SecurityEvent
  | where EventID == '4656'
  | where EventData has aadHealthMonAgentRegKey
  | extend EventData = parse_xml(EventData).EventData.Data
  | mv-expand bagexpansion=array EventData
  | evaluate bag_unpack(EventData)
  | extend Key = tostring(column_ifexists('@Name', "")), Value = column_ifexists('#text', "")
  | evaluate pivot(Key, any(Value), TimeGenerated, Computer, EventID)
  | extend ObjectName = column_ifexists("ObjectName", ""),
      ObjectType = column_ifexists("ObjectType", "")
  | where ObjectType == 'Key'
  | where ObjectName == aadHealthMonAgentRegKey
  | extend SubjectUserName = column_ifexists("SubjectUserName", ""),
      SubjectDomainName = column_ifexists("SubjectDomainName", ""),
      ProcessName = column_ifexists("ProcessName", "")
  | extend Process = split(ProcessName, '\\', -1)[-1],
      Account = strcat(SubjectDomainName, "\\", SubjectUserName)
  | where Process !in (aadConnectHealthProcs)
  | summarize StartTime = max(TimeGenerated), EndTime = min(TimeGenerated), count() by EventID, Account, Computer, Process, SubjectUserName, SubjectDomainName, ObjectName, ObjectType, ProcessName
  ),
  (
  WindowsEvent
  | where EventID == '4656' and EventData has aadHealthMonAgentRegKey
  | extend ObjectType = tostring(EventData.ObjectType)
  | where ObjectType == 'Key'
  | extend ObjectName = tostring(EventData.ObjectName)
  | where ObjectName == aadHealthMonAgentRegKey
  | extend ProcessName = tostring(EventData.ProcessName)
  | extend Process = tostring(split(ProcessName, '\\')[-1])
  | where Process !in (aadConnectHealthProcs)
  | extend Account =  strcat(tostring(EventData.SubjectDomainName),"\\", tostring(EventData.SubjectUserName))
  | extend SubjectUserName = tostring(EventData.SubjectUserName)
  | extend SubjectDomainName = tostring(EventData.SubjectDomainName)
  | summarize StartTime = max(TimeGenerated), EndTime = min(TimeGenerated), count() by EventID, Account, Computer, Process, SubjectUserName, SubjectDomainName, ObjectName, ObjectType, ProcessName
  ),
  (
  SecurityEvent
  | where EventID == '4663'
  | where ObjectType == 'Key'
  | where ObjectName == aadHealthMonAgentRegKey
  | extend Process = tostring(split(ProcessName, '\\', -1)[-1])
  | where Process !in (aadConnectHealthProcs)
  | summarize StartTime = max(TimeGenerated), EndTime = min(TimeGenerated), count() by EventID, Account, Computer, Process, SubjectUserName, SubjectDomainName, ObjectName, ObjectType, ProcessName
  ),
    (
  WindowsEvent
  | where EventID == '4663' and EventData has aadHealthMonAgentRegKey
  | extend ObjectType = tostring(EventData.ObjectType)
  | where ObjectType == 'Key'
  | extend ObjectName = tostring(EventData.ObjectName)
  | where ObjectName == aadHealthMonAgentRegKey
  | extend ProcessName = tostring(EventData.ProcessName)
  | extend Process = tostring(split(ProcessName, '\\')[-1])
  | where Process !in (aadConnectHealthProcs)
  | extend Account =  strcat(tostring(EventData.SubjectDomainName),"\\", tostring(EventData.SubjectUserName))
  | extend SubjectUserName = tostring(EventData.SubjectUserName)
  | extend SubjectDomainName = tostring(EventData.SubjectDomainName)
  | summarize StartTime = max(TimeGenerated), EndTime = min(TimeGenerated), count() by EventID, Account, Computer, Process, SubjectUserName, SubjectDomainName, ObjectName, ObjectType, ProcessName
  )
  )
  // You can filter out potential machine accounts
  //| where AccountType != 'Machine'
  | extend HostName = tostring(split(Computer, ".")[0]), DomainIndex = toint(indexof(Computer, '.'))
  | extend HostNameDomain = iff(DomainIndex != -1, substring(Computer, DomainIndex + 1), Computer)
  | extend Name = tostring(split(Account, "\\")[1]), NTDomain = tostring(split(Account, "\\")[0])
  | project-away DomainIndex  
tactics:
- Collection
kind: Scheduled
description: |
  'This detection uses Windows security events to detect suspicious access attempts to the registry key of Microsoft Entra ID Health monitoring agent.
  This detection requires an access control entry (ACE) on the system access control list (SACL) of the following securable object HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft Online\Reporting\MonitoringAgent.
  You can find more information in here https://github.com/OTRF/Set-AuditRule/blob/master/rules/registry/aad_connect_health_monitoring_agent.yml
  '  
triggerOperator: gt