# Empty non-privileged group details should be investigated

Detailed visibility into empty non-privileged groups enables effective cleanup:

Source: https://maester.dev/docs/tests/AD-GMC-09

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<div class="test-byline"><div class="test-byline-avatars"><a class="test-byline-avatar test-byline-avatar--author" href="/contributors/soulemike" title="Michael Soule · Original author"><img src="https://github.com/soulemike.png" alt="Michael Soule" width="28" height="28" loading="lazy" decoding="async" /></a></div><div class="test-byline-meta"><span class="test-byline-text">Contributed by <a href="/contributors/soulemike">Michael Soule</a></span><a class="test-byline-link" href="/contributors">All contributors →</a></div></div>

<p class="test-part">Part of <a href="/docs/tests/ad">Active Directory</a> · Active Directory · Groups · <a href="/docs/tests">All checks</a></p>

```powershell title="Run this check"
Invoke-Maester -TestId AD-GMC-09
```

## Overview

Detailed visibility into empty non-privileged groups enables effective cleanup:

- **Identification**: Lists specific groups that can be removed
- **Age assessment**: Shows creation and modification dates to determine staleness
- **Categorization**: Groups by type (security vs. distribution) and scope
- **Cleanup planning**: Provides data needed for maintenance windows
- **Audit trail**: Documents what was empty before cleanup

#### Control Type

**Operational**

#### Security Recommendation

Before removing empty groups:
- Verify groups are not referenced by applications or scripts
- Check if groups are used in Group Policy or Conditional Access
- Document groups before deletion for potential rollback
- Consider disabling groups first before permanent deletion
- Communicate with application owners about group dependencies
- Maintain a log of cleaned groups for compliance purposes

#### How the Test Works

This test identifies all Active Directory groups that:
1. Have no members
2. Do not have adminCount = 1

It then lists these groups with their:
- Name
- Group scope (DomainLocal, Global, Universal)
- Group category (Security, Distribution)
- Creation date
- Last modification date

#### Related Tests

- `Test-MtAdGroupEmptyNonPrivilegedCount` - Counts empty non-privileged groups
- `Test-MtAdGroupPrivilegedWithMembersDetails` - Reviews privileged group memberships

## Details

<details>
<summary>Every attribute of this check</summary>

| Field | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Test ID | AD-GMC-09 |
| Severity | Info |
| Suite | Active Directory |
| Product | Active Directory |
| Feature | Groups |
| Area | Identity lifecycle and hygiene |
| Resource type | Group |
| MITRE ATT&CK | None |
| PowerShell test | [Test-MtAdGroupEmptyNonPrivilegedDetails](https://github.com/maester365/maester/blob/main/tests/ad/group/Test.AD-GMC-09.ps1) |
| Services | ActiveDirectory |
| Permissions | ActiveDirectory:Ldap:group:ReadProperty, ActiveDirectory:Ldap:group.member:ReadProperty |

</details>

## Source

- Test: [`tests/ad/group/Test.AD-GMC-09.ps1`](https://github.com/maester365/maester/blob/main/tests/ad/group/Test.AD-GMC-09.ps1)
- Documentation: [`tests/ad/group/Test.AD-GMC-09.md`](https://github.com/maester365/maester/blob/main/tests/ad/group/Test.AD-GMC-09.md)