Elastic Security Detection Rules

Google Workspace API Access Granted via Domain-Wide Delegation

Last updated 11 days ago on 2026-06-15
Created 6 years ago on 2020-11-12

About

Detects when a super administrator authorizes domain-wide delegation (DWD) API client access for a Google Cloud service account or OAuth client. DWD lets an application impersonate users and access Workspace APIs across the tenant. Adversaries with admin access may register or authorize a malicious client with broad scopes to maintain API-based persistence and access mail, drive, and directory data without relying on a single user's password alone.
Tags
Domain: CloudData Source: Google WorkspaceUse Case: Identity and Access AuditTactic: PersistenceTactic: Privilege EscalationLanguage: kuery
Severity
medium
Risk Score
47
MITRE ATT&CK™

Persistence (TA0003)(external, opens in a new tab or window)

↳ Account Manipulation (T1098)(external, opens in a new tab or window)

Privilege Escalation (TA0004)(external, opens in a new tab or window)

↳ Account Manipulation (T1098)(external, opens in a new tab or window)

False Positive Examples
Domain-wide delegation of authority may be granted to service accounts by system administrators. Verify that the configuration change was expected. Exceptions can be added to this rule to filter expected behavior.
License
Elastic License v2(external, opens in a new tab or window)

Definition

Rule Type
Query (Kibana Query Language)
Integration Pack
Prebuilt Security Detection Rules
Index Patterns
filebeat-*logs-google_workspace.admin-*
Related Integrations

google_workspace(external, opens in a new tab or window)

Query
text code block:
data_stream.dataset:google_workspace.admin
  and event.action:AUTHORIZE_API_CLIENT_ACCESS

Install detection rules in Elastic Security

Detect Google Workspace API Access Granted via Domain-Wide Delegation in the Elastic Security detection engine by installing this rule into your Elastic Stack.

To setup this rule, check out the installation guide for Prebuilt Security Detection Rules(external, opens in a new tab or window).