Ensure that 'Users can create Microsoft 365 groups in Azure portals, API or PowerShell' is set to 'No'

LowLevel 2Manual reviewm365

Description

All users within a Microsoft Entra organization are permitted to create new Microsoft 365 groups and add members to those groups through the Azure portal, API, or PowerShell. Newly created groups also appear in the Access Panel for all other users. When the applicable group policy settings allow it, users can submit requests to join these groups. The recommended state is No. Restricting Microsoft 365 group creation to administrators only ensures that creation of Microsoft 365 groups is controlled by the administrator. Appropriate groups should be created and managed by the administrator and group creation rights should not be delegated to any other user.

How it is checked

Audit method: Manual review

This recommendation cannot be checked automatically. A scan lists it with these instructions when you pass --include-manual.

To audit using the UI: 1. Navigate to Microsoft Entra admin center https://entra.microsoft.com/. 2. Expand Entra ID > Groups and select General. 3. Verify that Users can create Microsoft 365 groups in Azure portals, API or PowerShell is set to No To audit using the Microsoft Graph API: 1. Execute a GET request to the following relative URI: v1.0/groupSettings 2. Filter to groups with the templateId of 62375ab9-6b52-47ed-826b- 58e47e0e304b 3. Verify that EnableGroupCreation is false. 4. If the group with the above templateId does not exist, then it means the setting is in its default state and is not compliant.

How it is fixed

Fix method: Guidance or infrastructure patch

To remediate using the UI: 1. Navigate to Microsoft Entra admin center https://entra.microsoft.com/. 2. Expand Entra ID > Groups and select General. 3. Set Users can create Microsoft 365 groups in Azure portals, API or PowerShell to No 4. Click Save. To remediate using the Microsoft Graph API: 1. Execute a PATCH request to the following relative URI: v1.0/groupSettings 2. Target the object with the templateId of 62375ab9-6b52-47ed-826b- 58e47e0e304b 3. Update EnableGroupCreation to false. Note: If a group with the above templateId doesn't exist this means the defaults are present and it would be advisable to use the UI to remediate, as this will automatically create the Group.Unified object with its defaults. Microsoft's documentation does cover using a POST request to build this using the API, however.

Properties

Operating systems: Any
Tags: m365saas
Reference: CIS Microsoft 365 Foundations Benchmark v7.0.0 - 5.1.3.4 Ensure that 'Users can create Microsoft 365 groups in Azure portals, API or PowerShell' is set to 'No'