Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) is a critical component of Microsoft's cloud infrastructure, providing identity and access management services. However, misconfigurations and vulnerabilities in Azure AD can lead to privilege escalation, potentially compromising entire Azure environments.

Common Azure AD Privilege Escalation Techniques

1. Global Administrator Role Abuse

Global Administrators have unrestricted access to all aspects of Azure AD. Attackers often target these accounts due to their extensive permissions.

2. Application Permission Abuse

Overly permissive application permissions can be exploited to gain elevated access to Azure resources.

3. Consent Grant Attacks

Malicious applications can trick users into granting them excessive permissions, leading to potential data exfiltration or further privilege escalation.

Mitigation Strategies

• Implement the principle of least privilege
• Regularly audit and review Azure AD roles and permissions
• Enable and configure Azure AD Privileged Identity Management (PIM)
• Use Conditional Access policies to restrict access based on user, device, and location
• Implement Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) for all users, especially those with elevated privileges

By understanding these techniques and implementing proper security measures, organizations can significantly reduce the risk of privilege escalation attacks in their Azure environments.