> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.forestall.io/fsprotect/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.forestall.io/fsprotect/edges/azure/az_parent_subscription.md).

# AZ\_PARENT\_SUBSCRIPTION

## Summary

|                            |                                                               |
| -------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **FSProtect ACL Alias**    | AZ\_PARENT\_SUBSCRIPTION                                      |
| **Azure Alias**            | Contains / Member of Subscription                             |
| **Affected Object Types**  | Resource Groups, VMs, Key Vaults, and all other ARM resources |
| **Exploitation Certainty** | Informational                                                 |

## Description

`AZ_PARENT_SUBSCRIPTION` represents that an Azure entity (Resource Group or resource) **belongs to a specific Azure Subscription**. This is a structural/containment edge that shows the top-level organizational hierarchy of Azure resources.

Subscriptions are the primary billing and access control boundary in Azure. Every Resource Group (and therefore every resource) exists within exactly one Subscription.

This edge is important for attack path analysis because:

* **RBAC role assignments inherit downward** — a role assigned at the Subscription level applies to all Resource Groups and resources within that subscription.
* **An attacker with Contributor or Owner at the Subscription level** gains access to **everything** in the subscription.
* **Subscription-level access is the broadest ARM scope** (below Management Groups) and represents maximum blast radius.

The `AZ_PARENT_SUBSCRIPTION` relationship itself is not directly exploitable. It indicates containment for understanding scope of permissions and access control inheritance.

## Identification

### PowerShell (Az Module)

```powershell
Connect-AzAccount

# List all subscriptions accessible to the current identity
Get-AzSubscription |
    Select-Object Name, Id, State, TenantId |
    Format-Table -AutoSize

# List all resource groups in a subscription
Set-AzContext -SubscriptionId "<SubscriptionId>"
Get-AzResourceGroup |
    Select-Object ResourceGroupName, Location, ProvisioningState |
    Format-Table -AutoSize

# List all resources in a subscription
Get-AzResource |
    Select-Object Name, ResourceType, ResourceGroupName, Location |
    Format-Table -AutoSize
```

### Azure GUI

1. Open **Azure Portal** → **Subscriptions**.
2. Select the target Subscription.
3. Go to **Resources** or **Resource groups** to view all contained entities.

## Exploitation

There is no direct exploit for this edge. It represents a containment relationship.

However, understanding subscription membership is critical for:

| Scenario                                | Impact                                                                                |
| --------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Compromised subscription-level role** | All resources in the subscription are affected                                        |
| **Blast radius assessment**             | A single compromised identity with subscription Owner/Contributor controls everything |
| **Privilege escalation planning**       | Subscription-level access is the most impactful ARM scope                             |

> **Related Attack Paths:**
>
> * [AZ\_ARM\_OWNER](https://docs.forestall.io/fsprotect/edges/azure/az_arm_owner) — Owner at subscription scope controls everything in the subscription.
> * [AZ\_CONTRIBUTOR](https://docs.forestall.io/fsprotect/edges/azure/az_contributor) — Contributor at subscription scope can manage all resources.
> * [AZ\_PARENT\_RESOURCE\_GROUP](https://docs.forestall.io/fsprotect/edges/azure/az_parent_resource_group) — Resource Groups belong to Subscriptions, resources belong to Resource Groups.
> * [AZ\_PARENT\_MANAGEMENT\_GROUP](https://docs.forestall.io/fsprotect/edges/azure/az_parent_management_group) — Subscriptions themselves can belong to Management Groups.

## References

* <https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cloud-adoption-framework/ready/azure-setup-guide/organize-resources>
* <https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/role-based-access-control/overview>
* <https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/azure-resource-manager/management/overview>
* <https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/cost-management-billing/manage/create-subscription>