Modification of the AD FS IdentityServer configuration file

Cortex XDR Analytics Alert Reference by data source

Product
Cortex XDR
Last date published
2026-07-12
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:
    • XDR Agent with eXtended Threat Hunting (XTH)

Detection Modules

Identity Analytics

Detector Tags

Active Directory Federation Services Analytics

ATT&CK Tactic

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

ATT&CK Tactic

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.