Update Entra ID Device Extension Attributes via PowerShell & Create Dynamic Security Groups.
2) Overview of Extension Attributes and Updating via PowerShell What Are Extension Attributes? Extension attributes (1–15) are predefined string fields available on Entra ID device objects. They are exposed to Microsoft Graph as the extensionAttributes property. These attributes can store custom values like department, environment tags (e.g., Prod, Dev), or ownership details. Why Use Them? Dynamic Group Membership: Use extension attributes in membership rules for security or Microsoft 365 groups. Policy Targeting: Apply Defender for Endpoint (MDE) policies, Conditional Access or Intune policies to devices based on custom tags. For details on configuration of the policies refer below documentation links. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/defender-endpoint/manage-security-policies https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/intune/intune-service/ https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/conditional-access/ Updating Extension Attributes via PowerShell and Graph API Use Microsoft Graph PowerShell to authenticate and update device properties. Required permission: “Device.ReadWrite.All”. 3) Using PowerShell to Update Extension Attributes create app registration in Entra ID with permissions Device.ReadWriteall and Grant admin Consent. Register an app How to register an app in Microsoft Entra ID - Microsoft identity platform | Microsoft Learn Graph API permissions Reference. For updating Entra ID device properties you need “Device.ReadWrite.all” permission and Intune administrator role to run the script. Microsoft Graph permissions reference - Microsoft Graph | Microsoft Learn Below is the script Important things to note and update the script with your custom values. a) update the path of the excel file in the script. column header is 'DeviceName' Note: You may want to use CSV instead of excel file if Excel is not available on the admin workstation running this process. b) update the credential details - tenantId,clientId & clientSecret in the script. Client id and client secret are created as a part of app registration. c) update the Externsionattribute and value in the script. This is the value of the extension attribute you want to use in dynamic membership rule creation. ___________________________________________________________________________ #Acquire token $tenantId = "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" $clientId = "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" $clientSecret = "xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" $excelFilePath = "C:\Temp\devices.xlsx" # Update with actual path $tokenResponse = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "https://login.microsoftonline.com/ $tenantId/oauth2/v2.0/token" -Method POST -Body $tokenBody $accessToken = $tokenResponse.access_token # Import Excel module and read device names Import-Module ImportExcel $deviceList = Import-Excel -Path $excelFilePath foreach ($device in $deviceList) { $deviceName = $device.DeviceName # Assumes column header is 'DeviceName' Get device ID by name $headers = @{ "Authorization" = "Bearer $accessToken"} $deviceLookupUri = "https://graph.microsoft.com/beta/devices?`$filter=displayName eq '$deviceName'" try { $deviceResponse = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri $deviceLookupUri -Headers $headers -Method GET } catch { Write-Host "Error querying device: $deviceName - $_" continue } if ($null -eq $deviceResponse.value -or $deviceResponse.value.Count -eq 0) { Write-Host "Device not found: $deviceName" continue } $deviceId = $deviceResponse.value[0].id # Prepare PATCH request $uri = "https://graph.microsoft.com/beta/devices/$deviceId" $headers["Content-Type"] = "application/json" $body = @{ extensionAttributes = @{ extensionAttribute6 = "MDE" } } | ConvertTo-Json -Depth 3 try { $response = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri $uri -Method Patch -Headers $headers -Body $body Write-Host "Updated device: $deviceName"} catch { Write-Host "Failed to update device: $deviceName - $_" } } Write-Host "Script execution completed." ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Here’s a simple summary of what the script does: Gets an access token from Microsoft Entra ID using the app’s tenant ID, client ID, and client secret (OAuth 2.0 client credentials flow). Reads an Excel file (update the path in $excelFilePath, and ensure the column header is DeviceName) to get a list of device names. Loops through each device name from the Excel file: Calls Microsoft Graph API to find the device ID by its display name. If the device is found, sends a PATCH request to Microsoft Graph to update extensionAttribute6 with the value "MDE". Logs the result for each device (success or failure) and prints messages to the console. 4) Using Extension Attributes in Dynamic Device Groups Once extension attributes are set, you can create a dynamic security group in Entra ID: Go to Microsoft Entra admin center → Groups → New group. Select Security as the group type and choose Dynamic Device membership. Add a membership rule, for example: (device.extensionAttributes.extensionAttribute6 -eq "MDE") 4. Save the group. Devices with extensionAttribute6 = MDE will automatically join. 5) Summary Extension attributes in Entra ID allow custom tagging of devices for automation and policy targeting. You can update these attributes using Microsoft Graph PowerShell. These attributes can be used in dynamic device group rules, enabling granular MDE policies, Conditional Access and Intune deployments. Disclaimer This script is provided "as-is" without any warranties or guarantees. It is intended for educational and informational purposes only. Microsoft and the author assume no responsibility for any issues that may arise from the use or misuse of this script. Before deploying in a production environment, thoroughly test the script in a controlled setting and review it for compliance with your organization's security and operational policies.Multi-tenant endpoint security policies distribution is now in Public Preview
We’re excited to announce a key milestone in Defender’s multi-tenant management journey—Microsoft Defender for Endpoint security policies can now be distributed across multiple tenants from the Defender multi-tenant portal. This capability empowers security teams to manage policies at scale, ensuring consistency and saving valuable time. What is content distribution? Content distribution is a powerful Defender feature that enables scalable management of content across tenants. With this capability, you can create content distribution profiles in the multi-tenant portal that allow you to seamlessly replicate existing content—such as custom detection rules and now, endpoint security policies—from a source tenant to designated target tenants. Once distributed, the content runs on the target tenant, enabling centralized control with localized execution. How it works Security policies are now a selectable content type when creating a distribution profile. Simply choose existing policies from your home tenant and add them to the distribution profile. You can also decide which Microsoft Entra group(s) will be applied as scope. Policy targeting will be based on the Entra device groups that exist in every tenant, and you select the relevant groups for each tenant. Upon completion, policies are automatically distributed to the selected tenants and are applied on the targeted machines. Distributed policies also appear in a hierarchical view, with the original policy serving as the parent. You can find the policies that were distributed from the tenant under the original policy. This appears on the endpoint security policies page within multi-tenant management. The last distribution status for the original policy reflects the overall status of its distributed copies, and the tenants and tenant groups sections indicate the recipients of the policy. At any time, you can update the policies, tenants, scope or any other settings, and sync to apply these changes. This new capability enables consistency (maintaining uniform security posture across tenants), efficiency (eliminating manual duplication and reducing operational overhead), and scalability (easily expanding coverage as the tenant landscape grows). FAQ What pre-requisites are required? Access to more than one tenant with Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, with delegated access via Azure B2B or GDAP (CSP Partners only), using the multi-tenant management capability. A subscription to Microsoft 365 E5 or Office E5. What permissions are needed to distribute MDE security policies? To access endpoint security policies, users require the security administrator role in each relevant tenant. To distribute content using multi-tenant management content distribution, the Security settings (manage) or Security Data Basic (read) permission is required. Both roles are assigned to the Security Administrator and Security Reader Microsoft Entra built-in roles by default. Can I update or expand distribution profiles later? Yes. You can add more content, include additional tenants, or modify scopes as needed. Learn more For more information, see Content distribution in multitenant management. To get started, navigate to the Content distribution page. To learn more about Microsoft Defender's endpoint protection, check out our website and video. To learn more about Microsoft Security solutions, visit our website. Bookmark the Security blog to keep up with our expert coverage on security matters. Follow us on LinkedIn (Microsoft Security) and X (@MSFTSecurity) for the latest news and updates on cybersecurity.Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (MDE) Live Response and Performance Script.
Importance of MDE Live Response and Scripts Live Response is crucial for incident response and forensic investigations. It enables analysts to: Collect evidence remotely. Run diagnostics without interrupting users. Remediate threats in real time. For more information on MDE Live Response visit the below documentation. Investigate entities on devices using live response in Microsoft Defender for Endpoint - Microsoft Defender for Endpoint | Microsoft Learn PowerShell scripts enhance this capability by automating tasks such as: Performance monitoring. Log collection. Configuration validation. This automation improves efficiency, consistency, and accuracy in security operations. For more details on running performance analyzer visit the below link. Performance analyzer for Microsoft Defender Antivirus - Microsoft Defender for Endpoint | Microsoft Learn While performance analyzer is run locally on the system to collect Microsoft Defender Anti-Virus performance details , in this document we are describing on running the performance analyzer from MDE Live Response console. This is a situation where Security administrators do not have access to the servers managed by Infra administrators. Prerequisites Required Roles and Permissions To use Live Response in Microsoft Defender for Endpoint (MDE), specific roles and permissions are necessary. The Security Administrator role, or an equivalent custom role, is typically required to enable Live Response within the portal. Users must possess the “Manage Portal Settings” permission to activate Live Response features. Permissions Needed for Live Response Actions Active Remediation Actions under Security Operations: Take response actions Approve or dismiss pending remediation actions Manage allowed/blocked lists for automation and indicators Unified Role-Based Access Control (URBAC): From 16/02/2025, new customers must use URBAC. Roles are assigned to Microsoft Entra groups. Access must be assigned to device groups for Live Response to function properly. Setup Requirements Enable Live Response: Navigate to Advanced Features in the Defender portal. Only users with the “Manage Portal Settings” permission can enable this feature. Supported Operating System Versions: Windows 10/11 (Version 1909 or later) Windows Server (2012 R2 with KB5005292, 2016 with KB5005292, 2019, 2022, 2025) macOS and Linux (specific minimum versions apply) Actual Script Details and Usage The following PowerShell script records Microsoft Defender performance for 60 seconds and saves the output to a temporary file: # Get the default temp folder for the current user $tempPath = [System.IO.Path]::GetTempPath() $outputFile = Join-Path -Path $tempPath -ChildPath "DefenderTrace.etl" $durationSeconds = 60 try { Write-Host "Starting Microsoft Defender performance recording for $durationSeconds seconds..." Write-Host "Recording will be saved to: $outputFile" # Start performance recording with duration New-MpPerformanceRecording -RecordTo $outputFile -Seconds $durationSeconds Write-Host "Recording completed. Output saved to $outputFile" } catch { Write-Host "Failed to start or complete performance recording: $_" } 🔧 Usage Notes: Run this script in an elevated PowerShell session. Ensure Defender is active, and the system supports performance recording. The output .etl file can be analyzed using performance tools like Windows Performance Analyzer. Steps to Initiate Live Response Session and Run the script. Below are the steps to initiate a Live Response session from Security.Microsoft.com portal. Below screenshot shows that console session is established. Then upload the script file to console library from your local system. Type “Library” to list the files. You can see that script got uploaded to Library. Now you execute the script by “run <file name>” command. Output of the script gets saved in the Library. Run “getfile <path of the file>” to get the file downloaded to your local system download folder. Then you can run Get-MpPerformanceReport command from your local system PowerShell as shown below to generate the report from the output file collected in above steps. Summary and Benefits This document outlines the use of MDE Live Response and PowerShell scripting for performance diagnostics. The provided script helps security teams monitor Defender performance efficiently. Similar scripts can be executed from Live Response console including signature updates , start/stop services etc. These scripts are required as a part of security investigation or MDE performance troubleshooting process. Benefits: Faster incident response through remote diagnostics. Improved visibility into endpoint behaviour. Automation of routine performance checks. Enhanced forensic capabilities with minimal user disruption.
Can onboard to MDE with stand-alone script, but gpo option does not work.
I'm sure this question has been asked before, but I have not been able to find anything. I can use the stand-alone script to get a workstation onboarded. But using the GPO option is not. If anyone has experience with this, please let me know of there are any nuances regarding getting the GPO option to work. I have followed the basic instructions for onboarding that way. Thanks
Intune / MDE device control policy audit events
I find that this feature is inconsistent on outputting the audit events to advanced hunting. I have not had an issue making the policies block devices including allowing specific ones, however it seems to be finicky on when it will output the RemovableStoragePolicyTriggered events. If I reboot the device it seems to emit the audit events briefly. The Windows Toast notifications are also inconsistent, but I suspect that is due to some function of Windows that limits the number of notifications that can occur. Is there some trick to make the audit events show up in advanced hunting consistently? My configuration is targeting USB/WPD/CDROM each one denying "File Write/File Execute" with an audit allowed + audit denied for everything but print. I tried explicitly "allowing" read/write/execute/fileread but it had no effect other than changing the policy label from "DefaultAllow" to the policy name when it did happen to emit a RemovableStoragePolicyTriggered event. I "clean" the registry keys associated with the policies prior to testing to get rid of duplicate data from policy updates. HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender\Policy Manager (PolicyRules/PolicyGroups)
Adding Windows and Linux servers to Intune?
Hi all, Quick question here. We are helping a customer with some work and wanted to ask whether it's possible to add Windows and Linux server to Intune for MDE purposes. If it's possible is there a cost involved? ($X/month per server)? I've had a search but was not able to fine a definitive answer. Many thanks.
How to remove MDE managed devices in MEM?
Hi, I had two windows server VMs with MDE(Microsoft Defender for Endpoint) onboarded. For test purpose, I turned on the security settings management in MDE to let MEM deploy some security policies to them. It worked fine. I got corresponding device entries in AAD and MEM and was able to manage the VMs like other Intune managed devices. After I deleted the VMs, I found the device entries are somehow lingering. For MDE, I knew there is a data retention time which is 30 days in my case. I waited for a month and the VMs do disappear from MDE. But I can still see them in AAD and MEM till now. I can't do anything to them in MEM, while I can temporarily delete them in AAD and see them respawn next day. According to the doc, there is a way to solve this problem, but I can't see how. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/mem/intune/protect/mde-security-integration#frequently-asked-questions-and-considerations Does anyone know what "be removed from the scope of Configuration Management in the Security Center" means and how to perform it? Thanks for reading this post.Can I check whether an IoC/hash is already monitored by MDE?
The list of IoC is limited to 15k. I imagine some IoCs entries from our "custom list" are already monitored by Microsoft/MDE. So, is there a way to check whether there is a detection rule for a specific IoC (hash)? This would save us some thousand entries and improve our monitoring coverage. *Better to join forces than reinvent the wheel.Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 1 Now Generally Available
We are excited to announce the General Availability of Microsoft Defender for Endpoint Plan 1 (P1). Defender for Endpoint P1 demonstrates Microsoft’s commitment to delivering best of breed, multi-platform, and multi-cloud security for all organizations across the globe, providing a foundational set of our https://www.microsoft.com/security/blog/2021/05/11/gartner-names-microsoft-a-leader-in-the-2021-endpoint-protection-platforms-magic-quadrant/ capabilities for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS at a lower price point.
