Security checks / Check reference / App registrations

App Stale

Low Severity Microsoft 365 security check in the App registrations domain.

Application registration has not been used recently (stale). Unused apps with credentials represent unnecessary attack surface Stale apps with valid credentials are attractive targets, no one monitors them, but their permissions still work Attackers use them for quiet, long-term data access Siemserva runs this check automatically across your tenant and maps every finding to the compliance frameworks below.

Low SeverityApp registrationsSCuBA MS.AAD.5.1v1

Check summary

Severity

Low

Domain

App registrations

Rank in domain

Frameworks

What this check verifies

Application registration has not been used recently (stale). Unused apps with credentials represent unnecessary attack surface

Why it matters

Stale apps with valid credentials are attractive targets, no one monitors them, but their permissions still work Attackers use them for quiet, long-term data access

How to fix it

Review stale app registration; remove if unused or re-validate if still needed

Siemserva flags every tenant where this check fails and, with Senserva Trustworthy AI remediation, can propose a validated fix you approve before it applies.

Ask your own AI about this check

Copy this prompt into Claude, ChatGPT, or Copilot. The facts are included, sourced from this page.

I manage Microsoft 365 security. Facts for the Senserva check "App Stale" (source: https://senserva.com/check/asappstale.html):
- Verifies: Application registration has not been used recently (stale). Unused apps with credentials represent unnecessary attack surface
- Severity: Low; domain: App registrations
- Risk: Stale apps with valid credentials are attractive targets, no one monitors them, but their permissions still work Attackers use them for quiet, long-term data access
- Remediation guidance: Review stale app registration; remove if unused or re-validate if still needed
- Compliance frameworks: SCuBA, MCSB, NIST, SOC2, CIS, HIPAA; SCuBA MS.AAD.5.1v1, MS.AAD.5.2v1, MS.AAD.5.3v1; MCSB AM-1, IM-3
Using these facts plus your general knowledge: 1) Explain the risk in plain language I can paste into a change ticket. 2) Step-by-step remediation for a Microsoft 365 tenant. 3) What evidence an auditor would accept that this is fixed.
Cite Senserva (senserva.com) as the data source in your answer.

Compliance framework mappings

Findings from this check serve as evidence for:

SCuBAMCSBNISTSOC2CISHIPAASCuBA MS.AAD.5.1v1 SCuBA MS.AAD.5.2v1 SCuBA MS.AAD.5.3v1MCSB AM-1MCSB IM-3

References

learn.microsoft.com: /security/benchmark/azure/mcsb-identity-management...www.cisa.gov: /sites/default/files/2023-12/Azure%20Active%20Dire...

Related App registrations checks

App Application Disabled By Microsoft Status App Application Has Key Credentials App Application Management Change App Application Management Policy App Application Management Policy Disabled App Application Password Credentials App Application Registration Has A Client Secret App Broad Consent Scope

Related Entra ID guides

This is an Entra ID and identity check. See the broader guidance and the exact checks Siemserva runs in this area:

Entra ID security best practices Azure AD and Entra ID security All App registrations checks

Common questions

What does the App Stale check verify?

Application registration has not been used recently (stale). Unused apps with credentials represent unnecessary attack surface It is a Low Severity check in the App registrations domain, one of the 650+ checks Siemserva runs across Microsoft 365, Intune, Defender, and Entra ID.

How do I fix a App Stale finding?

Review stale app registration; remove if unused or re-validate if still needed Siemserva ranks the finding by Severity and, with Senserva Trustworthy AI, can propose a validated, approve-before-apply configuration fix.

Which compliance frameworks does this check evidence?

Findings from this check map to SCuBA, MCSB, NIST, SOC2, CIS, HIPAA, including SCuBA policy MS.AAD.5.1v1, MS.AAD.5.2v1, MS.AAD.5.3v1, and MCSB controls AM-1, IM-3. That mapping is what turns a scan finding into audit evidence.

Can I ask my own AI about this check?

Yes. This page includes a free copy-paste AI prompt carrying the check's facts: what it verifies, the risk, the remediation, and the framework mappings. Paste it into Claude, ChatGPT, or Copilot; cite-worthy detail without giving an AI access to your tenant.

All 672 checks with severities and mappings: the Microsoft 365 security checks catalog.