Adversary uses built-in tools such as 'net user /add /domain' or PowerShell to create a domain user account. The behavior chain includes: (1) suspicious process execution on a domain controller followed by (2) user account creation event (Event ID 4720) on the same host.
| Data Component | Name | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| User Account Creation (DC0014) | WinEventLog:Security | EventCode=4720 |
| Process Creation (DC0032) | WinEventLog:Sysmon | EventCode=1 |
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| TimeWindow | Detection triggers when Event ID 4720 follows a suspicious process within 2 minutes. |
| ParentProcessName | Allow filtering of known admin tools vs adversarial misuse (e.g., net.exe, powershell.exe). |
| UserContext | Filter accounts with domain admin privileges creating new users vs standard helpdesk roles. |
| HostRole | Restrict to only domain controller hosts to reduce noise from workstations. |
Adversary with access to domain management tools (e.g., realmd, samba-tool, ldapmodify) creates a new domain user via command-line utilities. Behavior chain: LDAP command or script triggers → user entry added in AD via Kerberos/LDAP traffic.
| Data Component | Name | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Command Execution (DC0064) | auditd:SYSCALL | execution of realmd, samba-tool, or ldapmodify with user-related arguments |
| User Account Authentication (DC0002) | NSM:Flow | TGS-REQ and AS-REQ seen for new user shortly after domain-modifying process |
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| DomainToolUsed | realmd, samba-tool, ldapmodify or custom script |
| TrafficWindow | Expected Kerberos traffic from new domain account within X minutes of command |
| SessionType | Script execution from interactive shell vs scheduled task |
macOS clients joined to AD via LDAP may script account provisioning via dsconfigad, dscl, or LDAP scripts. Detection occurs when such tools run on a domain-joined system, followed by authentication attempts by a previously unseen account.
| Data Component | Name | Channel |
|---|---|---|
| Command Execution (DC0064) | macos:unifiedlog | dsconfigad or dscl with create or append options for AD-bound users |
| Logon Session Creation (DC0067) | macos:unifiedlog | UserLoggedIn |
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| EnrollmentStatus | Only flag on AD-bound systems with valid LDAP context |
| AccountType | Distinguish between user accounts and computer accounts |