azure-vm-create-update-unalerted: Azure VM Create/Update Alert Not Configured

2025-08-01 Azure VM PoC Public

Description

Ensure that an Azure activity log alert is fired whenever "Create Virtual Machine" or "Update Virtual Machine" events are triggered in your Microsoft Azure cloud account. Activity log alerts get triggered when a new activity log event that matches the condition specified in the alert configuration occurs. This rule is crucial as it monitors for any administrative activity log related to "Create or Update Virtual Machine".

PoC

id: azure-vm-create-update-unalerted
info:
  name: Azure VM Create/Update Alert Not Configured
  author: princechaddha
  severity: high
  description: |
    Ensure that an Azure activity log alert is fired whenever "Create Virtual Machine" or "Update Virtual Machine" events are triggered in your Microsoft Azure cloud account. Activity log alerts get triggered when a new activity log event that matches the condition specified in the alert configuration occurs. This rule is crucial as it monitors for any administrative activity log related to "Create or Update Virtual Machine".
  impact: |
    Failing to monitor "Create or Update Virtual Machine" events could allow unauthorized or harmful modifications to go unnoticed, increasing security and operational risks.
  remediation: |
    Configure alert rules to fire on "Create or Update Virtual Machine" events by setting the alert condition to "Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/write" and ensuring that notifications are managed through an action group.
  reference:
    - https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-monitor/platform/alerts-activity-log
  tags: cloud,devops,azure,microsoft,virtual-machines,azure-cloud-config

flow: |
  code(1);
  for (let AlertData of iterate(template.alertList)) {
    set("vm_id", AlertData);
    code(2);
  }

self-contained: true
code:
  - engine:
      - sh
      - bash
    source: |
      az monitor activity-log alert list --output json --query '[?(enabled==`true`)].id'
    extractors:
      - type: json
        name: alertList
        internal: true
        json:
          - '.[]'

  - engine:
      - sh
      - bash
    source: |
      az monitor activity-log alert show --ids "$vm_id" --query 'condition'
    matchers-condition: and
    matchers:
      - type: word
        words:
          - '"field": "operationName"'

      - type: word
        words:
          - "Microsoft.Compute/virtualMachines/write"
        negative: true

    extractors:
      - type: dsl
        dsl:
          - 'vm_id + " does not have the correct alert configuration for Create/Update Virtual Machine events"'
# digest: 4b0a004830460221009aab36fddf2299e80a883bcfabe93d955d379c32c5b9181b9ff4eb35de06acf6022100e11718b59790c24cf895e4acd86d688c6f70bec53bd0ee8c757f320dab8ec7d0:922c64590222798bb761d5b6d8e72950

# Visit https://trap.biu.life/ to view exploit trends for this vulnerability.

References

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