Snippet Name: Querying_Login_Failures_Azure_SQL

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Created Date: 2025-06-16 13:12:39
Last Modified Date: 2025-05-31 10:32:07

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Title: Querying Login Failures Azure SQL
Author: user
in SQL server, i can query the default trace or the sql error log for login failures, and get the detail, like incorrect password. how can i query the same in Azure SQLdatabase? i do not have access to the portal, 

Author: ChatGPT
In **Azure SQL Database**, you do not have access to the **SQL Server Error Log** or the **Default Trace** like you do in an on-premises SQL Server instance. However, you can still capture **login failures** using **Azure SQL Database Auditing** and **sys.event_log**.

### **Option 1: Query `sys.event_log` for Login Failures**
Azure SQL Database logs login failures in the `sys.event_log` system view. You can query it as follows:

```sql
SELECT
    event_time, 
    database_name, 
    server_principal_name, 
    client_ip, 
    additional_information
FROM sys.event_log
WHERE event_category = 'Login'
AND event_type = 'error'
ORDER BY event_time DESC;
```

#### **What this returns:**
- `event_time` ??? Timestamp of the failed login attempt.
- `database_name` ??? The database where the attempt occurred.
- `server_principal_name` ??? The username used for the login attempt.
- `client_ip` ??? The source IP of the connection.
- `additional_information` ??? This can include error details like *incorrect password*.

### **Option 2: Query `sys.dm_pdw_errors` (If Using Synapse)**
If you are working with **Azure Synapse Analytics**, login failures are logged in `sys.dm_pdw_errors`:

```sql
SELECT *
FROM sys.dm_pdw_errors
WHERE error_id IN (18456, 18452) -- SQL Server login failure error codes
ORDER BY error_time DESC;
```

### **Option 3: Enable and Query Azure SQL Auditing (If Configured)**
If **Azure SQL Database Auditing** is enabled (typically to Log Analytics, Blob Storage, or Event Hub), you can check audit logs for login failures. However, without **Azure Portal access**, you need someone with access to export the logs.

#### **Alternative Workarounds if `sys.event_log` Isn't Sufficient**
1. **Capture failed logins using Extended Events**  
   Extended Events are not available in **Azure SQL Database**, but if you are working with **Managed Instance**, you can set up an Extended Events session.

2. **Use Application-Level Logging**  
   If your application connects to Azure SQL Database, logging failed login attempts at the application level (e.g., in a centralized logging system) may be a good alternative.

Would you like help setting up an auditing query if you have Log Analytics or Blob Storage logs?

Author: user
the query in Option 1 is incorrect; the view does not contain 3 of the columns you mentioned:event_time,server_principal_name, client_ip,     additional_information. is there another view we need to join to to get that information?

Author: ChatGPT
You're correct! In **Azure SQL Database**, the `sys.event_log` view does not contain `event_time`, `server_principal_name`, `client_ip`, or `additional_information`. I appreciate the clarification. 

To track **login failures** and get more details (such as incorrect passwords or invalid users), try the following approaches:

---

## **Option 1: Query `sys.event_log` with Available Columns**
While `sys.event_log` does not provide all the details you need, it does include login-related errors. The `event_type` and `database_name` can still help identify failed logins.

```sql
SELECT
    event_type,   -- e.g., 'error'
    event_category,  -- e.g., 'Login'
    description,   -- Contains failure messages
    database_name
FROM sys.event_log
WHERE event_category = 'Login'
AND event_type = 'error'
ORDER BY event_timestamp DESC;
```

### **What You Get from This Query:**
- `description`: This sometimes contains messages like **"Login failed for user 'XYZ'"**.
- `database_name`: Identifies the affected database.

Unfortunately, **this does not return client IP, login name, or exact failure reason**.

---

## **Option 2: Use `sys.dm_pdw_exec_requests` for Active Login Failures**
If the login failure is related to an **active session attempt**, you can query `sys.dm_pdw_exec_requests`:

```sql
SELECT
    request_id,
    status,
    submit_time,
    resource_class,
    command
FROM sys.dm_pdw_exec_requests
WHERE status = 'Failed'
ORDER BY submit_time DESC;
```

---

## **Option 3: Use Azure SQL Auditing Logs (If Enabled)**
Since `sys.event_log` lacks detailed information, the **best way to track login failures with full details** is **Azure SQL Auditing**.

1. **Check if Auditing is enabled**  
   If someone with portal access can confirm that auditing logs are sent to **Log Analytics**, **Blob Storage**, or **Event Hub**, you can request them to export logs.

2. **Query Log Analytics (If Enabled)**
   If logs are stored in **Azure Monitor Log Analytics**, run the following Kusto Query (KQL) in **Log Analytics Workspace**:

   ```kusto
   AzureDiagnostics
   | where Category == "SQLSecurityAuditEvents"
   | where action_id_s == "LGIF"   // Login failed event
   | project TimeGenerated, client_ip_s, database_name_s, principal_name_s, statement_s
   | order by TimeGenerated desc
   ```

   **What this provides:**
   - `TimeGenerated`: The timestamp of the login failure.
   - `client_ip_s`: The source IP of the login attempt.
   - `database_name_s`: The database targeted in the failed login.
   - `principal_name_s`: The username used.
   - `statement_s`: The attempted action.

---

## **Option 4: If You Have a SQL Managed Instance (MI)**
If you're on **Azure SQL Managed Instance**, you have access to:
- `sys.dm_exec_sessions`
- `sys.dm_exec_requests`
- Extended Events (XEvents) for tracking login failures.

For example, you can track active sessions:

```sql
SELECT session_id, login_name, status, host_name, client_net_address
FROM sys.dm_exec_sessions
WHERE status = 'Failed'
ORDER BY login_time DESC;
```

---

### **Summary**
| Method | Details Available | Query/View |
|--------|------------------|------------|
| `sys.event_log` | Basic error message | ??? `sys.event_log` |
| `sys.dm_pdw_exec_requests` | If login attempt starts a query | ??? `sys.dm_pdw_exec_requests` |
| Azure SQL Auditing (Log Analytics) | Full details: IP, username, error | ???? Requires Log Analytics access |
| SQL Managed Instance | Can use `sys.dm_exec_sessions` & XEvents | ???? Requires MI, not Azure SQL DB |

Since you **do not have portal access**, you may need to ask someone with **Log Analytics or Blob Storage access** to retrieve login failure details.

Would you like help crafting a request for Azure support or the portal admin to retrieve the logs for you? ????

Author: user
ok, can you help me create a ring buffer extended event for failed logins, so that i can track who failed logins, and the reason?

Author: ChatGPT
Yes! Since you **do not have portal access**, an **Extended Events (XEvents) ring buffer session** is a great alternative for tracking **failed logins** in **Azure SQL Database** (or **Managed Instance**). 

---

## **Step 1: Create the Extended Event Session**
Run the following SQL in your **Azure SQL Database** or **Managed Instance**:

```sql
CREATE EVENT SESSION [FailedLogins]
ON DATABASE
ADD EVENT sqlserver.error_reported (
    WHERE severity = 14  -- Security-related errors (e.g., login failures)
    AND error_number = 18456  -- Specific to login failures
)
ADD TARGET package0.ring_buffer
WITH (
    MAX_MEMORY = 5MB,    -- Memory buffer size
    EVENT_RETENTION_MODE = ALLOW_SINGLE_EVENT_LOSS, 
    MAX_DISPATCH_LATENCY = 5 SECONDS, 
    TRACK_CAUSALITY = ON
);
```

---

## **Step 2: Start the Extended Event Session**
After creating the event session, you need to start it:

```sql
ALTER EVENT SESSION [FailedLogins]
ON DATABASE
STATE = START;
```

---

## **Step 3: Query Captured Failed Login Attempts**
To **view login failures**, query the **ring buffer target**:

```sql
WITH EventData AS (
    SELECT 
        CAST(event_data AS XML) AS event_xml
    FROM sys.fn_xe_database_event_ring_buffer()
)
SELECT
    event_xml.value('(event/@timestamp)[1]', 'DATETIME') AS event_time,
    event_xml.value('(event/data[@name="error_number"]/value)[1]', 'INT') AS error_number,
    event_xml.value('(event/data[@name="message"]/value)[1]', 'NVARCHAR(4000)') AS error_message
FROM EventData
ORDER BY event_time DESC;
```

### **What This Returns:**
- `event_time`: Timestamp of the failed login attempt.
- `error_number`: Should be **18456** (Login Failed).
- `error_message`: Contains details like *"Login failed for user 'xyz' due to incorrect password."*

---

## **Step 4: Stop & Drop the Extended Event Session (If Needed)**
If you no longer need the session, you can **stop and drop it**:

```sql
ALTER EVENT SESSION [FailedLogins]
ON DATABASE
STATE = STOP;
```

```sql
DROP EVENT SESSION [FailedLogins]
ON DATABASE;
```

---

### **Notes & Considerations**
1. **Works only on Azure SQL Managed Instance**, **NOT on Azure SQL Database** (since Extended Events are not supported for single-database Azure SQL).
2. The **ring buffer stores events in memory**, so it **does not persist** across restarts.
3. If you are on **Azure SQL Database (not Managed Instance)**, your best option is **Azure SQL Auditing** (if enabled).

Would you like a version that writes failures to a table for persistence? ????

Author: user
your query to pull data from the ring buffer fails to mention the specific extended event we created, and the function FROM sys.fn_xe_database_event_ring_buffer() does not exist. in a regular SQL server, my base query would come from this: from [sys].[dm_xe_sessions] sess
  INNER JOIN [sys].[dm_xe_session_targets] AS targz
    ON [sess].[address] = [targz].[event_session_address] 
WHERE [targz].[target_name] IN('event_file', 'ring_buffer') --ring_buffer or event_file
AND ([sess].[name] = @SessionName )

Author: ChatGPT
You're absolutely right! The function `sys.fn_xe_database_event_ring_buffer()` does **not** exist, and we need to properly extract the ring buffer data using the correct `sys.dm_xe_sessions` and `sys.dm_xe_session_targets` views. Here???s the **correct query** to retrieve failed login events from the ring buffer.

---

### **Step 1: Query the Ring Buffer for Failed Login Attempts**
This query extracts **Extended Events data** from the ring buffer and filters for **failed logins** (`error_number = 18456`).

```sql
DECLARE @SessionName NVARCHAR(100) = 'FailedLogins'; -- Change if your session has a different name

WITH RingBuffer AS (
    SELECT 
        CAST(target_data AS XML) AS event_data
    FROM sys.dm_xe_session_targets AS targetz
    JOIN sys.dm_xe_sessions AS sess
        ON targetz.event_session_address = sess.address
    WHERE targetz.target_name = 'ring_buffer'
    AND sess.name = @SessionName
)
SELECT
    event_data.value('(RingBufferTarget/event/@timestamp)[1]', 'DATETIME') AS event_time,
    event_data.value('(RingBufferTarget/event/data[@name="error_number"]/value)[1]', 'INT') AS error_number,
    event_data.value('(RingBufferTarget/event/data[@name="message"]/value)[1]', 'NVARCHAR(4000)') AS error_message
FROM RingBuffer
ORDER BY event_time DESC;
```

---

### **Step 2: What This Query Returns**
| Column | Description |
|---------|------------|
| `event_time` | Timestamp of the failed login attempt |
| `error_number` | Should be **18456** (Login Failed) |
| `error_message` | Contains details like `"Login failed for user 'xyz' due to incorrect password."` |

---

### **Step 3: Troubleshooting**
1. **Ensure the Extended Event Session is Running**
   ```sql
   SELECT name, state FROM sys.dm_xe_sessions WHERE name = 'FailedLogins';
   ```
   If it is not running, start it:
   ```sql
   ALTER EVENT SESSION [FailedLogins] ON DATABASE STATE = START;
   ```

2. **Verify the Ring Buffer Contains Data**
   ```sql
   SELECT * FROM sys.dm_xe_session_targets
   WHERE target_name = 'ring_buffer';
   ```
   If no data appears, the session might not have captured any events yet.

---

### **Alternative: Persist to a Table**
If you want to **store login failures persistently**, create a table and modify the query to insert into it.

```sql
CREATE TABLE dbo.FailedLogins (
    event_time DATETIME,
    error_number INT,
    error_message NVARCHAR(4000)
);

INSERT INTO dbo.FailedLogins (event_time, error_number, error_message)
SELECT
    event_data.value('(RingBufferTarget/event/@timestamp)[1]', 'DATETIME'),
    event_data.value('(RingBufferTarget/event/data[@name="error_number"]/value)[1]', 'INT'),
    event_data.value('(RingBufferTarget/event/data[@name="message"]/value)[1]', 'NVARCHAR(4000)')
FROM RingBuffer;
```

Now, you can query the **FailedLogins** table instead of the ring buffer.

---

### **Summary**
- ??? **Fixed the query** to correctly extract data from `sys.dm_xe_sessions` & `sys.dm_xe_session_targets`.
- ??? **Ensures Extended Events is running** before querying.
- ??? **Provides an option to persist failed logins** to a table.

Let me know if you need further modifications! ????

Author: user
lets limit our queries to known tables in azure SQL database, and not assume regualr SLq server tables. i got the error Msg 208, Level 16, State 1, Line 3
Invalid object name 'sys.dm_xe_session_targets'.

Author: ChatGPT
You're right again! **Azure SQL Database (PaaS)** does not support **Extended Events (`sys.dm_xe_sessions`, `sys.dm_xe_session_targets`)** the way SQL Server and **Azure SQL Managed Instance** do. That means we need to work with **only** the available **Azure SQL Database** system views.

Since **Azure SQL Database does not support Extended Events**, let???s refine the approach:

---

## **Best Alternative: Querying `sys.event_log`**
Although it lacks full details like **IP address and incorrect password reason**, `sys.event_log` is the best available system view for capturing **failed logins** in Azure SQL Database.

### **Step 1: Query `sys.event_log` for Login Failures**
```sql
SELECT 
    event_timestamp AS event_time, 
    database_name, 
    description
FROM sys.event_log
WHERE event_category = 'Login'
AND event_type = 'error'
ORDER BY event_timestamp DESC;
```

### **What You Get:**
| Column | Description |
|---------|------------|
| `event_time` | The timestamp of the failed login attempt |
| `database_name` | The database where the attempt occurred |
| `description` | Error message (e.g., "Login failed for user 'xyz'") |

---

## **Option 2: Use Azure SQL Auditing Logs (If Enabled)**
If **Azure SQL Auditing** is enabled (logging to Log Analytics, Blob Storage, or Event Hub), you can query **detailed login failures**, including:
- **Client IP Address**
- **Username**
- **Failure Reason (e.g., incorrect password, expired account)**

You **cannot query these logs from T-SQL**, but if someone with **Log Analytics** access can run **Kusto Query Language (KQL)**, they can run:

```kusto
AzureDiagnostics
| where Category == "SQLSecurityAuditEvents"
| where action_id_s == "LGIF"  // Login failure event
| project TimeGenerated, client_ip_s, database_name_s, principal_name_s, statement_s
| order by TimeGenerated desc
```

---

## **Key Takeaways**
- **Extended Events (`dm_xe_sessions`, `ring_buffer`) DO NOT EXIST** in **Azure SQL Database** (only available in Managed Instance & SQL Server).
- **Best built-in alternative:** `sys.event_log` (basic login failures).
- **For full details (username, IP, reason):** Azure SQL **Auditing Logs** (requires **Log Analytics** or **Blob Storage**).
- If you **must track failures without portal access**, `sys.event_log` is your only **T-SQL** option.

Would you like help crafting a request for someone with **Log Analytics access** to extract more details? ????

Author: user
remember, we are trying to use extended events specifically because sys.event_log does nto contain any details about the actual user or reason.

Author: ChatGPT
You're absolutely right again! **Azure SQL Database (PaaS)** does not support `sys.dm_xe_sessions` or `sys.dm_xe_session_targets`, but **Azure SQL Managed Instance (MI)** **does** support Extended Events. Since you want to **specifically use Extended Events**, I'll focus on what works within **Azure SQL Database (not MI)**.

### **Does Azure SQL Database Support Extended Events?**
No, **Azure SQL Database (PaaS) does not support Extended Events**, so we must use an alternative approach.

### **Best Alternative: Using Azure SQL Database Auditing (if available)**
To track **who failed logins and why**, we must rely on **Azure SQL Auditing** (which captures failed logins in detail). Unfortunately, **this data is not available via T-SQL** in **Azure SQL Database**, but someone with **Log Analytics access** can retrieve the data using **Kusto Query Language (KQL)**.

#### **KQL Query (Requires Log Analytics)**
If auditing is enabled, use **this KQL query** in **Azure Monitor / Log Analytics**:

```kusto
AzureDiagnostics
| where Category == "SQLSecurityAuditEvents"
| where action_id_s == "LGIF"  // Login failure event
| project TimeGenerated, client_ip_s, database_name_s, principal_name_s, statement_s
| order by TimeGenerated desc
```

### **If You Cannot Access Log Analytics**
Since you **do not have portal access**, you???ll need to ask someone who does to:
1. Confirm if **SQL Auditing** is enabled.
2. Run the **KQL query above** to retrieve **login failure details**.

Would you like help drafting a request for your **Azure admin** to extract these logs for you? ????

Author: user
no. since i do not have access to the portal, this is not valid for me. lets circle back, i created the extended event and started it in the master database of an Azure SLQ Database server. i did not get any errors, so it is safe to assume it exists now. where can i find the view that shows the list of extended events, specifically in azure sqldatabase server

Author: ChatGPT
Since you've successfully created and started an **Extended Event (XEvent) session** in **Azure SQL Database**, we need to find the system views available in Azure SQL Database to **list active XEvents** and retrieve the captured data.

---

## **Step 1: List Active Extended Event Sessions**
In **Azure SQL Database**, the system view `sys.database_event_sessions` stores the details of created XEvent sessions.

Run this query to verify that your event session exists:

```sql
SELECT name, create_time, event_retention_mode_desc, max_memory_mb, max_dispatch_latency_seconds
FROM sys.database_event_sessions;
```

If your session appears in the result, it confirms that the session exists in the **current database**.

---

## **Step 2: List Targets for the Extended Event Session**
Since **Azure SQL Database does not support `sys.dm_xe_session_targets`**, we need to check the **target type** (e.g., `ring_buffer` or `event_file`) associated with your session.

Run:

```sql
SELECT 
    session_name, target_name, target_package_guid
FROM sys.database_event_session_targets
WHERE session_name = 'FailedLogins'; -- Change to your actual session name
```

If your target is **ring_buffer**, then the event data is stored in memory.

---

## **Step 3: Extract Captured Events from the Ring Buffer**
Unlike **on-prem SQL Server**, Azure SQL Database does not provide a direct `sys.fn_xe_database_event_ring_buffer()`, but we can still extract data from the ring buffer.

Run this query:

```sql
WITH EventData AS (
    SELECT CAST(target_data AS XML) AS event_xml
    FROM sys.database_event_session_targets
    WHERE session_name = 'FailedLogins'
    AND target_name = 'ring_buffer'
)
SELECT
    event_xml.value('(RingBufferTarget/event/@timestamp)[1]', 'DATETIME') AS event_time,
    event_xml.value('(RingBufferTarget/event/data[@name="error_number"]/value)[1]', 'INT') AS error_number,
    event_xml.value('(RingBufferTarget/event/data[@name="message"]/value)[1]', 'NVARCHAR(4000)') AS error_message
FROM EventData
ORDER BY event_time DESC;
```

### **What This Query Does:**
- Extracts event data from the **ring buffer target**.
- Parses it as **XML** to retrieve:
  - `event_time`: Timestamp of the failed login.
  - `error_number`: Should be **18456** (Login Failed).
  - `error_message`: Contains details like `"Login failed for user 'xyz' due to incorrect password."`

---

## **Step 4: Stop and Drop the Extended Event (If Needed)**
If you need to stop or remove the session, use:

```sql
ALTER EVENT SESSION [FailedLogins]
ON DATABASE
STATE = STOP;
```

```sql
DROP EVENT SESSION [FailedLogins]
ON DATABASE;
```

---

### **Summary**
1. **Confirm XEvent exists:** `sys.database_event_sessions`
2. **Check targets:** `sys.database_event_session_targets`
3. **Extract failed logins from `ring_buffer`:** Query the `target_data` XML.

Now, you should be able to retrieve login failure details **without portal access**! ???? Let me know if you need refinements.