DET0319 Detection Strategy for T1136.003 - Cloud Account Creation across IaaS, IdP, SaaS, Office
| Item |
Value |
| ID |
DET0319 |
| Version |
1.0 |
| Created |
21 October 2025 |
| Last Modified |
21 October 2025 |
Technique Detected: T1136.003 (Cloud Account)
Analytics
Identity Provider
AN0899
Adversaries create user accounts via identity provider APIs or admin portals (e.g., Azure AD, Okta). These accounts may be assigned elevated privileges or used in chained authentication. Detection monitors Add User activity from suspicious IPs or automation sources, followed by role/permission escalation.
Log Sources
Mutable Elements
| Field |
Description |
| IPAddress |
Filter on IPs outside known admin networks or geographies |
| RoleThreshold |
Raise alert if total admins exceeds historical baseline |
| ServicePrincipalFlag |
Differentiate between user and service principal creation |
IaaS
AN0900
Adversaries use cloud API, CLI, or console to create IAM users or roles. Initial CreateUser is followed by policy/role attachment. Detection monitors temporal chains involving IAM:CreateUser, AttachUserPolicy, and credential generation, especially from automation or foreign IP ranges.
Log Sources
Mutable Elements
| Field |
Description |
| Region |
Alert when creation happens in unexpected regions |
| TimeWindow |
Chain CreateUser → AttachPolicy → AccessKey within short timeframe |
| UserAgent |
Monitor API calls from non-console or automation tools |
SaaS
AN0901
Adversaries create SaaS accounts via admin dashboards or integrations (e.g., Zoom, Salesforce, Slack). Monitor lifecycle.create or account provisioning events from non-standard sources or times.
Log Sources
Mutable Elements
| Field |
Description |
| ApplicationScope |
Trigger only for high-privilege or sensitive applications |
| AdminUserList |
Compare actor to list of approved SaaS administrators |
Office Suite
AN0902
Adversaries leverage M365 or Google Workspace APIs to create users, service accounts, or guest accounts. Follow-on behaviors include login activity, role escalation, or service principal token generation.
Log Sources
Mutable Elements
| Field |
Description |
| GroupSensitivity |
Only alert on additions to high-value groups (e.g., Domain Admins) |
| GuestFlag |
Tune alerts based on guest vs internal user creation |