Leaks

New System Assigned Managed Identity for Microsoft Graph API Access in Azure Automation

Copyright & Fact Checker 25 October 2024

Ever struggled with managing credentials for your Azure Automation runbooks that interact with Microsoft Graph API? System assigned Managed Identity (MSI) offers a secure and convenient solution, but assigning Microsoft Graph permissions can be tricky. This article cuts through the complexity and empowers you with two powerful PowerShell scripts to streamline the process.

Why System Assigned Managed Identity?

Enhanced Security: Eliminate the need to store sensitive credentials in scripts, reducing the risk of exposure.

Simplified Management: Azure handles the identity lifecycle, freeing you from manual credential management.

Streamlined Automation: Leverage the identity directly within your runbooks for seamless Microsoft Graph API access.

The Challenge: Missing Permissions

By default, system assigned MSI lacks Microsoft Graph permissions out of the box. This can lead to authorization errors when your runbooks attempt to interact with the API.

The Solution: Script-Based Permission Granting

This article provides two ready-to-use PowerShell scripts:

Assign-MgGraphPermissions.ps1: Grants three key Microsoft Graph permissions (User.Read.All, Group.ReadWrite.All, Directory.ReadWrite.All) to your system assigned MSI.

Remove-MgGraphPermissions.ps1: Revokes the assigned permissions when needed.

Benefits and Considerations

Effortless Permission Management: Automate permission assignment and removal with these scripts.

Granular Control: Tailor the script to grant specific permissions based on your needs.

Global Administrator Required: You’ll need Global Administrator privileges within your tenant to run these scripts.

Conclusion

By leveraging these scripts, you can unlock the full potential of system assigned Managed Identity for secure and efficient Microsoft Graph API access in your Azure Automation runbooks. This approach streamlines security, simplifies management, and empowers you to focus on building powerful automations.

References: Wikipedia, Internet Archive, Undercode Ai & Community,es: Cloud Architects Community, Techcommunity.microsoft.com
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