Modification of the AD FS IdentityServer configuration file

Synopsis

Field	Value
Activation Period	14 Days
Training Period	30 Days
Test Period	N/A (single event)
Deduplication Period	1 Day
Required Data	XDR Agent with eXtended Threat Hunting (XTH)
Detection Modules	Identity Analytics
Detector Tags	Active Directory Federation Services Analytics
ATT&CK Tactic	Stealth (TA0005)
ATT&CK Technique	Hijack Execution Flow (T1574)
Severity	Informational

Description

The AD FS service configuration file was modified.

Attacker's Goals

The attacker's goal is to establish a persistent, high-privilege backdoor by forcing the service to load a malicious configuration that enables remote code execution and the bypass of security controls like MFA.

Investigative actions

• Check if the AD FS service was stopped or restarted around the time of modification.
• Investigate the process and user that performed the write operation for signs of compromise.

Variations

Suspicious Modification of the AD FS IdentityServer configuration file

Synopsis

Field	Value
ATT&CK Tactic	Stealth (TA0005)
ATT&CK Technique	Hijack Execution Flow (T1574)
Severity	Low

Description

The AD FS service configuration file was modified.

Attacker's Goals

The attacker's goal is to establish a persistent, high-privilege backdoor by forcing the service to load a malicious configuration that enables remote code execution and the bypass of security controls like MFA.

Investigative actions

• Check if the AD FS service was stopped or restarted around the time of modification.
• Investigate the process and user that performed the write operation for signs of compromise.