Tutorial / Cram Notes
App registrations in Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) are required for applications that need to authenticate users or access secured resources. When you register an application in Azure AD, you are essentially creating an identity for your application so it can be authenticated and authorized to access Azure resources.
Permission Types
App registrations can request two types of permissions:
- Delegated permissions – These are used by apps that have a signed-in user present. For these apps, the user consents to the required permissions that the app needs to act on their behalf (e.g., reading their profile information).
- Application permissions – These are used by apps that run without a signed-in user present; for example, background services or daemons. Application permissions are typically more powerful, with the ability to affect all users in an organization.
Managing Permission Consent
When managing consent, you have to consider who is granting the consent and the scope of the permissions being granted:
- User consent – Individual users give consent to apps that require delegated permissions to act on their behalf. This can be controlled by Azure AD settings.
- Admin consent – Administrators grant consent for app registrations that require application permissions or delegated permissions with a scope that goes beyond individual users.
To manage app registration permission consent, Azure offers the following tools and features:
- Enterprise Applications blade in Azure AD: Admins can use this feature to view and manage app permissions for their entire organization.
- Consent and permissions API in Microsoft Graph: Offers programmatic access to manage consent across an organization.
Configuring Consent Settings
Azure AD allows you to configure who can give consent and to what extent:
- User consent for apps from verified publishers: Allow users to consent to apps that access limited, non-sensitive data.
- User consent to apps accessing company data: Admins may restrict standard users from consenting to apps that access company data, requiring an admin to review and approve these permissions.
Examples
Here’s a scenario for managing app registration and permission consent:
Suppose you have an application “MyResourceApp” that requires access to read user profiles and send emails on behalf of the user. When “MyResourceApp” is registered in Azure AD:
- For delegated permissions: You set up permissions like
User.ReadandMail.Send. When a user signs in, they’ll be asked to consent to these permissions for the app to operate on their behalf. - For application permissions: If the app requires access without a user, you’ll add permissions like
User.Read.AllandMail.Send. Only an administrator can grant these permissions because they apply across the entire tenant.
Managing Consent Grants
Administrators should regularly review granted permissions for compliance and security purposes:
- Review consented applications: This can be done through the Azure portal, where admins can list all applications to which users have consented and audit the permissions granted.
- Revoke permissions: If necessary, administrators can also revoke permissions granted to an application, either for an individual user or the whole organization.
Monitoring Consent with Audit Logs
– Azure AD provides audit logs that allow administrators to monitor consent and permission grant events, aiding with investigations and compliance.
Best Practices
- Least Privilege: Always follow the principle of least privilege when granting permissions to applications.
- Regular Audits: Conduct regular audits of consents given to applications and adjust as necessary.
- Secure Application Lifecycles: Manage the complete lifecycle of the application, from registration to decommissioning, ensuring that permissions are only active as long as needed.
Conclusion
Managing app registration and permission consent is key to maintaining a secure Azure environment. It’s essential for organizations to properly configure and audit these consents to ensure both user and organizational data remain protected against unauthorized access. Regularly reviewing and updating these permissions according to the principle of least privilege will help mitigate potential security risks associated with application access to Azure resources.
Practice Test with Explanation
Azure AD allows end users to consent to third-party multi-tenant applications accessing their data without administrative intervention.
- A) True
- B) False
Answer: A) True
Explanation: Azure AD has a feature for end users to consent to third-party multi-tenant applications access their data, although this can be restricted by an admin.
Which of the following permissions require admin consent in an Azure AD tenant by default?
- A) Application permissions
- B) Delegated permissions that require admin consent
- C) Delegated permissions for a Microsoft Graph read messages
- D) Both A and B
Answer: D) Both A and B
Explanation: Application permissions and delegated permissions that explicitly require admin consent will always need an administrator’s approval in Azure AD.
Which PowerShell cmdlet can be used to retrieve the list of enterprise applications in Azure AD?
- A) Get-AzureADApplication
- B) List-AzureADApplication
- C) Get-AzureADEnterpriseApplication
- D) Get-AzureADServicePrincipal
Answer: C) Get-AzureADEnterpriseApplication
Explanation: The Get-AzureADEnterpriseApplication cmdlet retrieves a list of enterprise applications within the Azure AD tenant.
Admins can set up Azure AD to require consent for all third-party applications, regardless of the permissions they request.
- A) True
- B) False
Answer: A) True
Explanation: Azure AD provides the administrators with the ability to require consent for any third-party application, ensuring control over which applications can access their organization data.
The user consent for an application can be revoked by:
- A) The user themselves from their profile
- B) An Azure AD administrator
- C) The application owner
- D) All of the above
Answer: D) All of the above
Explanation: Consent granted by a user can be revoked by the user themselves, an Azure AD administrator, or the application owner through the Azure portal or using PowerShell cmdlets.
In Azure AD, which of the following is NOT a possible admin consent workflow status?
- A) Pending approval
- B) Approved
- C) Denied
- D) In review
Answer: D) In review
Explanation: In the Azure AD admin consent workflow, the possible statuses are Pending approval, Approved, and Denied. “In review” is not a status used in the workflow.
Azure Active Directory Permissions categorized under ‘Microsoft Graph’ pertain only to Office 365 applications and services.
- A) True
- B) False
Answer: B) False
Explanation: Microsoft Graph is the gateway to data and intelligence in Microsoft 365, providing access to a wide range of services, not limited to Office 365 applications and services.
The “Users can consent to apps accessing company data on their behalf” setting in Azure AD can be configured to which options:
- A) Yes
- B) No
- C) Limited
- D) Both A and C
Answer: D) Both A and C
Explanation: Azure AD allows the configuration to be set to “Yes” allowing user consent for apps or “Limited” to define a group of users who can consent or specify permissions for which user consent is allowed.
To view an app’s granted permissions in Azure AD, the admin should check:
- A) User settings
- B) Registered app’s API permissions
- C) Enterprise applications
- D) Conditional Access policies
Answer: B) Registered app’s API permissions
Explanation: To view an app’s granted permissions, an admin should check the API permissions section in the settings of the registered application in Azure AD.
Which feature in Azure AD provides the ability to set policies that restrict user consent to applications from verified publishers only?
- A) Azure AD Conditional Access
- B) Azure AD Identity Protection
- C) Azure AD publisher verification
- D) Azure AD Privileged Identity Management
Answer: C) Azure AD publisher verification
Explanation: Azure AD publisher verification allows admins to restrict user consent to applications that are from verified publishers to ensure the authenticity of apps used within the organization.
Azure AD admin consent requests can be automatically approved if they meet certain criteria.
- A) True
- B) False
Answer: B) False
Explanation: Azure AD does not support automatic approval of admin consent requests based on criteria. Each request requires manual review by an Azure AD administrator.
Admins need to use the Azure Portal to approve admin consent requests in Azure AD.
- A) True
- B) False
Answer: B) False
Explanation: Admins can manage consent approvals using the Azure portal, but they can also use PowerShell and other administrative tools to manage consent requests.
Interview Questions
What is app registration permission consent?
App registration permission consent is the process by which users grant applications permission to access their Azure Active Directory (AAD) resources.
Why is it important to manage app registration permission consent in AAD?
Managing app registration permission consent is important for ensuring that only authorized applications have access to your organization’s sensitive data and resources.
How do you manage app registration permission consent in AAD?
You can manage app registration permission consent in AAD by selecting “Enterprise applications” in the Azure portal, selecting the application you want to manage, and then selecting “Permissions.”
How do you grant consent for an application in AAD?
You can grant consent for an application in AAD by clicking “Grant admin consent for [your organization]” or “Grant consent” and then reviewing the permissions the application is requesting and clicking “Accept.”
What are the benefits of managing app registration permission consent in AAD?
Managing app registration permission consent can improve security, better manage access to AAD resources, simplify compliance, and reduce the risk of data breaches.
Can users revoke app registration permission consent in AAD?
Yes, users can revoke app registration permission consent in AAD at any time.
How can you monitor application access to your organization’s resources in AAD?
You can monitor application access to your organization’s resources in AAD using reporting and auditing tools.
What is delegated consent in AAD?
Delegated consent is the process by which a user grants an application permission to access their AAD resources on their behalf.
What is admin consent in AAD?
Admin consent is the process by which an administrator grants an application permission to access AAD resources on behalf of all users in an organization.
How can you customize app registration permission consent in AAD?
You can customize app registration permission consent in AAD by configuring the user experience and enabling or disabling features such as pre-consent, dynamic consent, and conditional access.
Can someone explain how to set up the consent policy for app registrations in Azure AD?
I’ve noticed that sometimes users are prompted for consent even though admin consent is given. Why does this happen?
Appreciate the detailed guide on managing app consent policies!
How does the ‘Permissions Classification’ feature work in Azure AD?
The tutorial missed some key points about conditional access policies.
How can we automatically grant consent for trusted apps in enterprise environments?
This blog is very informative, thank you!
I’m still confused about the relationship between app roles and permissions. Can someone clarify?