name: Cloud Federated Credential Abuse
id: cecdc1e7-0af2-4a55-8967-b9ea62c0317d
version: 1
date: '2021-01-26'
author: Rod Soto, Splunk
type: batch
description: This analytical story addresses events that indicate abuse of cloud federated
  credentials. These credentials are usually extracted from endpoint desktop or servers
  specially those servers that provide federation services such as Windows Active
  Directory Federation Services. Identity Federation relies on objects such as Oauth2
  tokens, cookies or SAML assertions in order to provide seamless access between cloud
  and perimeter environments. If these objects are either hijacked or forged then
  attackers will be able to pivot into victim's cloud environements.
narrative: This story is composed of detection searches based on endpoint that addresses
  the use of Mimikatz, Escalation of Privileges and Abnormal processes that may indicate
  the extraction of Federated directory objects such as passwords, Oauth2 tokens,
  certificates and keys. Cloud environment (AWS, Azure) related events are also addressed
  in specific cloud environment detection searches.
references:
- https://www.cyberark.com/resources/threat-research-blog/golden-saml-newly-discovered-attack-technique-forges-authentication-to-cloud-apps
- https://www.fireeye.com/content/dam/fireeye-www/blog/pdfs/wp-m-unc2452-2021-000343-01.pdf
- https://us-cert.cisa.gov/ncas/alerts/aa21-008a
tags:
  analytics_story: Cloud Federated Credential Abuse
  category:
  - Cloud Security
  usecase: Security Monitoring
  product:
  - Splunk Enterprise
  - Splunk Enterprise Security
  - Splunk Cloud
