dsa-permissions.md

title	include file
description	include file
ms.topic	include
ms.date	12/11/2023

The DSA requires read only permissions on all the objects in Active Directory, including the Deleted Objects Container.

The read-only permissions on the Deleted Objects container allows Defender for Identity to detect user deletions from your Active Directory.

Use the following code sample to help you grant the required read permissions on the Deleted Objects container, whether or not you're using a gMSA account.

Tip

If the DSA you want to grant the permissions to is a Group Managed Service Account (gMSA), you must first create a security group, add the gMSA as a member, and add the permissions to that group. For more information, see Configure a Directory Service Account for Defender for Identity with a gMSA.

# Declare the identity that you want to add read access to the deleted objects container:
$Identity = 'mdiSvc01'

# If the identity is a gMSA, first to create a group and add the gMSA to it:
$groupName = 'mdiUsr01Group'
$groupDescription = 'Members of this group are allowed to read the objects in the Deleted Objects container in AD'
if(Get-ADServiceAccount -Identity $Identity -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) {
    $groupParams = @{
        Name           = $groupName
        SamAccountName = $groupName
        DisplayName    = $groupName
        GroupCategory  = 'Security'
        GroupScope     = 'Universal'
        Description    = $groupDescription
    }
    $group = New-ADGroup @groupParams -PassThru
    Add-ADGroupMember -Identity $group -Members ('{0}$' -f $Identity)
    $Identity = $group.Name
}

# Get the deleted objects container's distinguished name:
$distinguishedName = ([adsi]'').distinguishedName.Value
$deletedObjectsDN = 'CN=Deleted Objects,{0}' -f $distinguishedName

# Take ownership on the deleted objects container:
$params = @("$deletedObjectsDN", '/takeOwnership')
C:\Windows\System32\dsacls.exe $params

# Grant the 'List Contents' and 'Read Property' permissions to the user or group:
$params = @("$deletedObjectsDN", '/G', ('{0}\{1}:LCRP' -f ([adsi]'').name.Value, $Identity))
C:\Windows\System32\dsacls.exe $params
  
# To remove the permissions, uncomment the next 2 lines and run them instead of the two prior ones:
# $params = @("$deletedObjectsDN", '/R', ('{0}\{1}' -f ([adsi]'').name.Value, $Identity))
# C:\Windows\System32\dsacls.exe $params

For more information, see Changing permissions on a deleted object container.