CIS.M365.5.1.4.3 - (L1) Ensure the GA role is not added as a local administrator during Entra join
Overview
5.1.4.3 (L1) Ensure the GA role is not added as a local administrator during Entra join
This setting controls whether the Global Administrator role is automatically added to the local administrators group on a device during the Microsoft Entra join process.
The recommended state is No.
Rationale
System administrators may be inclined to use over-privileged accounts for convenience when managing devices. Enforcing this control helps discourage that behavior by requiring administrative actions to be performed using accounts specifically designated for local administration. This promotes adherence to the principle of least privilege and reduces the risk associated with using high-level roles for routine tasks. For example, using a Global Administrator account to authenticate to a compromised endpoint and continue performing tasks significantly increases the risk of broader organizational compromise.
Impact
Restricting the default behavior and requiring manual assignment to least privilege roles introduces minor administrative overhead. During the Microsoft Entra join process, the Microsoft Entra Joined Device Local Administrator role is automatically added to the device's local administrators group and should be used instead.
Remediation action
- Navigate to Microsoft Entra admin center.
- Expand Entra ID > Devices and select Device settings.
- Set Global administrator role is added as local administrator on the device during Microsoft Entra join (Preview) to No.
Related links
- Microsoft Entra admin center - Device settings
- How to manage the local administrators group on Microsoft Entra joined devices
- CIS Microsoft 365 Foundations Benchmark v7.0.0 - 5.1.4.3
Test Metadata
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Test ID | CIS.M365.5.1.4.3 |
| Severity | Medium |
| Suite | CIS |
| Product | Entra ID |
| Feature | Device identity |
| Area | Privileged access |
| Resource type | Tenant |
| User impact | Low |
| Implementation cost | Low |
| MITRE ATT&CK | T1078.004 Cloud Accounts |
| Supports benchmark | CIS Microsoft 365 Foundations Benchmark (version 7.0.0), requirement 5.1.4.3 |
| Benchmark level | L1 |
| Benchmark profiles | E3 Level 1 |
| Supports controls | cis-m365:5.1.4.3, nist-800-53-r5:AC-6 |
| PowerShell test | Test-MtCisGlobalAdminNotLocalAdmin |
| Services | Graph |
Source
- Test:
tests/cis/Test.CIS.M365.5.1.4.3.ps1 - Documentation:
tests/cis/Test.CIS.M365.5.1.4.3.md