Deletion of AD CS certificate database entries

Synopsis

Field	Value
Activation Period	14 Days
Training Period	30 Days
Test Period	N/A (single event)
Deduplication Period	1 Day
Required Data	Requires one of the following data sources: Windows Event Collector OR XDR Agent with eXtended Threat Hunting (XTH)
Detection Modules	Identity Analytics
Detector Tags	Active Directory Certificate Services Analytics
ATT&CK Tactic	Defense Evasion (TA0005)
ATT&CK Technique	Indicator Removal (T1070)
Severity	Informational

Description

A user has deleted rows from the certificate database of an AD CS server.

Attacker's Goals

An attacker is attempting to cover their tracks after issuing certificates.

Investigative actions

• Check the user account deleting the certificate database entries and verify its activity.* Review AD CS logs to identify any unauthorized certificate issuances, modifications, or template changes.* Examine recent activity from the user account, including logon patterns and privilege changes.

Variations

Abnormal deletion of AD CS certificate database entries

Synopsis

Field	Value
ATT&CK Tactic	Defense Evasion (TA0005)
ATT&CK Technique	Indicator Removal (T1070)
Severity	Low

Description

A user has deleted rows from the certificate database of an AD CS server.

Attacker's Goals

An attacker is attempting to cover their tracks after issuing certificates.

Investigative actions

• Check the user account deleting the certificate database entries and verify its activity.* Review AD CS logs to identify any unauthorized certificate issuances, modifications, or template changes.* Examine recent activity from the user account, including logon patterns and privilege changes.