ADFS DKM Key Access

Cortex XDR Analytics Alert Reference by data source

Product
Cortex XDR
Last date published
2026-05-18
Category
Analytics Alert Reference
Index by
data source

Synopsis

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 Threat Module

Detector Tags

Active Directory Federation Services Analytics

ATT&CK Tactic

Credential Access (TA0006)

ATT&CK Technique

Forge Web Credentials: SAML Tokens (T1606.002)

Severity

Low

Description

ADFS DKM key attribute (thumbnailphoto) access in AD container, potential Golden SAML token forging attempt.

Attacker's Goals

The attack goal is to forge a valid SAML token to impersonate any user and gain persistent, unauthorized access to cloud resources, effectively bypassing MFA and standard security controls.

Investigative actions

  • Check for recent changes to the SAML signing certificate on both the Identity Provider and the Service Provider to rule out a configuration drift or expiration issue.
  • Check for other correlated alerts on on-premises systems that may be related to the Golden SAML attack.
  • Look for signs that the user account is compromised (e.g. abnormal logins, unusual activity).