Detecting unauthorized AI-agent access means identifying the application identity and the permission grant or credential it uses, then checking both how access was authorized and what the identity did afterward. In Microsoft Entra, review application-permission audit events and service-principal sign-in records; remove the specific grant or app-role assignment when possible. Do not assume that revocation immediately invalidates every token: Microsoft says existing access tokens can remain valid until they expire.
How do I detect an unauthorized AI agent in SaaS?
An AI agent may connect to a SaaS product through an OAuth grant, an application identity, a service principal, a connected-app integration, or another non-user credential. It may therefore appear in application or non-user records rather than as a human user. The exact identity type and log category depend on the provider; there is no single log view that identifies every AI agent.
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Inventory applications, identities, and grants
Start with the identity provider’s application and connected-app inventories. For each unfamiliar entry, capture its name and ID, publisher, owner, consent actor, grant type, requested and granted permissions, and the users or tenant affected. Microsoft Entra’s application-permission audit guidance covers app-only service-principal role assignments, delegated permission grants, and user consent activity: View activity logs of application permissions (updated April 28, 2025).
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Look for unexpected consent, broad or unrelated permissions, elevated access, unexpected administrator consent, or a mismatch between the app’s purpose and the scopes it received. Microsoft recommends assessing app permissions, publisher and app reputation, consent activity, and related activity when investigating a risky OAuth app: Investigate and remediate risky OAuth apps.
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Check non-user authentication separately from interactive user sign-ins. Microsoft describes service-principal sign-ins as non-user sign-ins, including certificate authentication and OAuth client-credentials use of a client secret. Some events are grouped when identity, status, IP address, and resource match; expand grouped records to inspect individual sign-ins and timestamps. See Microsoft’s service principal sign-in logs guidance.
Establish the scope
Correlate the principal and its grant with the suspected time window, affected users, permissions, resources, actors, IP addresses, and observed app activity. Microsoft’s guidance recommends examining application access and audit records to determine the scope of a possible illicit consent grant: Detect and remediate illicit consent grants and App consent grant investigation. If auditing was not enabled before the suspected incident, relevant records may be unavailable. Missing logs do not prove that the app did nothing.
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How can I tell which app has access to our SaaS data?
Trace access through the identity or SaaS provider’s records rather than relying on an app’s display name alone. Match the application ID or principal to its consent or assignment record, then inspect the granted permissions and the users, tenant, or resources in scope. Compare those details with sign-in and app-activity records to see whether the identity authenticated or acted during the period under investigation.
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For Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps, the documented OAuth investigation and governance capabilities include specific connected-app scenarios for Google Workspace and Salesforce. Those examples do not establish one universal procedure for every Google Workspace, Salesforce, or other SaaS deployment; available records and controls vary by provider. See Governing connected apps.
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How do I revoke an AI agent’s access?
Choose the narrowest control that removes the authorization the agent actually uses. A delegated OAuth grant and an app-only role assignment are different authorization paths, so confirm the grant type before removing anything.
- Identify the principal and authorization. Record the app or service-principal ID, the relevant grant or assignment, its permissions, and affected users or tenant.
- Remove the specific authorization. Revoke the delegated OAuth permission grant or remove the app-only app-role assignment, as appropriate. Microsoft documents these remediation paths in application permission audit guidance and its illicit-consent remediation guidance.
- Use broader containment only when justified. Disabling sign-in for an affected account can be a short-term way to limit an app’s access, but it can disrupt that user’s work. Disabling all integrated applications is a drastic, disruptive measure, not a routine first response. Microsoft describes these options in its remediation guidance.
- Verify and monitor. In the actual provider, confirm the grant or assignment is gone. Watch for new consent, continued activity, or related identities and credentials; use that provider’s logs and documented token behavior to assess whether further containment is needed.
Does revoking OAuth access immediately stop the app?
Not necessarily. Microsoft documents that when Microsoft Entra disables an OAuth application after a confirmed violation, new token and refresh-token requests are denied, but existing access tokens remain valid until they expire. Microsoft states: “Any existing access tokens are still valid until their expiration.” See Protect against consent phishing. This is Microsoft-specific guidance, not a guarantee about every SaaS provider. Check the affected provider’s own documentation and confirm the effect in its administration interface.
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What to include in a SaaS access incident record
- The app name, application or principal ID, publisher, owner, and identity type.
- The grant or credential involved, its permissions, consent actor, and affected users, tenant, or resources.
- The suspected time window and relevant audit, sign-in, and app-activity records, including actors and IP addresses where available.
- The containment action taken, the provider-side confirmation that it succeeded, and any known logging gaps.
- Follow-up monitoring for new grants, continued activity, and related identities or credentials.
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