cis-azure-foundations-5-17

name	cis-azure-foundations-5.17
description	Ensure 'Restrict access to Microsoft Entra admin center' is set to 'Yes'
category	cis-azure-foundations
version	5.0.0
author	cyberstrike-official
tags	["cis","azure","identity","admin-center","access-restriction","least-privilege"]
cis_id	5.17
cis_benchmark	CIS Microsoft Azure Foundations Benchmark v5.0.0
tech_stack	["azure"]
cwe_ids	[]
chains_with	["cis-azure-foundations-5.4","cis-azure-foundations-5.26"]
prerequisites	[]
severity_boost	{}

Ensure 'Restrict access to Microsoft Entra admin center' is set to 'Yes'

Description

Restrict access to the Microsoft Entra ID administration center to administrators only.

NOTE: This only affects access to the Entra ID administrator's web portal. This setting does not prohibit privileged users from using other methods such as Rest API or Powershell to obtain sensitive information from Microsoft Entra ID.

Rationale

The Microsoft Entra ID administrative center has sensitive data and permission settings. All non-administrators should be prohibited from accessing any Microsoft Entra ID data in the administration center to avoid exposure.

Impact

All administrative tasks will need to be done by Administrators, causing additional overhead in management of users and resources.

Audit Procedure

Using Azure Portal

1. From Azure Home select the Portal Menu
2. Select Microsoft Entra ID
3. Under Manage, select Users
4. Under Manage, select User settings
5. Under Administration centre, ensure that Restrict access to Microsoft Entra admin center is set to Yes

Expected Result

Restrict access to Microsoft Entra admin center should be set to Yes.

Remediation

Using Azure Portal

1. From Azure Home select the Portal Menu
2. Select Microsoft Entra ID
3. Under Manage, select Users
4. Under Manage, select User settings
5. Under Administration centre, set Restrict access to Microsoft Entra admin center to Yes
6. Click Save

Default Value

By default, Restrict access to Microsoft Entra admin center is set to No.

References

1. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/entra/identity/role-based-access-control/permissions-reference
2. https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/security/benchmark/azure/mcsb-governance-strategy#gs-2-define-and-implement-enterprise-segmentationseparation-of-duties-strategy