A user account was enabled
A previously disabled user account was enabled in Active Directory or local SAM.
Event ID 4722 documents when an account status is flipped from disabled to enabled (`UserAccountControl` flags modified). Attackers often re-enable dormant, forgotten, or terminated employee accounts to establish persistence without creating new identities.
Failure Reason / Root Cause:
HR employee re-activation, IT troubleshooting, or attacker activating dormant/backdoor accounts.
Raw Event XML snippet
<Event xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/win/2004/08/events/event">
<System>
<Provider Name="Microsoft-Windows-Security-Auditing" Guid="{54849625-5478-4994-A5BA-3E3B0328C30D}" />
<EventID>4722</EventID>
<Version>0</Version>
<Level>0</Level>
<Task>12544</Task>
<Opcode>0</Opcode>
<Keywords>0x8020000000000000</Keywords>
<TimeCreated SystemTime="2026-07-17T09:54:44.890Z" />
<EventRecordID>1048576</EventRecordID>
<Correlation />
<Execution ProcessID="612" ThreadID="1024" />
<Channel>Security</Channel>
<Computer>DC01.enterprise.internal</Computer>
<Security />
</System>
<EventData>
<Data Name="SubjectUserSid">S-1-5-18</Data>
<Data Name="SubjectUserName">SYSTEM</Data>
<Data Name="SubjectDomainName">NT AUTHORITY</Data>
<Data Name="SubjectLogonId">0x3e7</Data>
<!-- Event telemetry fields specific to A user account was enabled -->
</EventData>
</Event>MITRE ATT&CK mapping
| ID | Technique | Tactic |
|---|---|---|
T1098 | Account Manipulation | Persistence |
Recommended actions
- Audit all account enablement actions (`4722`) on accounts disabled for more than 30 days (`dormant accounts`).
- Confirm that the `SubjectUserName` enabling the account holds proper administrative authorization.