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PASSEDinfrastructure / ad_password_hash_sync_failure
Password Hash Sync Failure
Active Directory password hash synchronization between on-premises AD and Azure AD breaks after a domain controller is decommissioned. Users who change their on-premises passwords find their Azure AD passwords still use the old value, causing login failures for cloud services.
Pattern
ACTIVE_DIRECTORY
Severity
CRITICAL
Confidence
92%
Remediation
Remote Hands
Test Results
| Metric | Expected | Actual | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pattern Recognition | ACTIVE_DIRECTORY | ACTIVE_DIRECTORY | |
| Severity Assessment | CRITICAL | CRITICAL | |
| Incident Correlation | Yes | 6 linked | |
| Cascade Escalation | N/A | No | |
| Remediation | — | Remote Hands — Corax contacts on-site support via call, email, or API |
Scenario Conditions
Hybrid AD environment with Azure AD Connect. DC03 decommissioned without updating AD Connect connector. Password hash sync agent pointing to decommissioned DC. Users changing passwords on-premises cannot access cloud resources. 200 password changes not synced in 48 hours.
Injected Error Messages (1)
Active directory password hash synchronization failure — Azure AD Connect password sync agent unable to reach decommissioned DC03, 200 password changes pending sync for 48 hours, active directory users who changed passwords cannot access Office 365 and Azure resources, active directory connector pointing to offline domain controller, password writeback also affected
Neural Engine Root Cause Analysis
The Azure AD Connect password sync agent is configured to communicate with DC03, a domain controller that has been decommissioned but not properly removed from the connector configuration. This misconfiguration is preventing password hash synchronization between on-premises Active Directory and Azure AD, causing authentication failures for users who changed passwords in the last 48 hours. The issue affects both password sync and password writeback functionality, indicating a complete breakdown of hybrid identity operations.
Remediation Plan
1. Access Azure AD Connect server (10.10.8.55) and open Azure AD Connect configuration wizard. 2. Navigate to connector configuration and identify the Active Directory connector pointing to decommissioned DC03. 3. Reconfigure the connector to point to active, available domain controllers. 4. Validate connectivity to the new domain controllers on required ports (389, 636, 3268, 3269). 5. Restart Azure AD Connect Sync service and Azure AD Connect Authentication Agent. 6. Force a full password sync cycle to process the 200 pending password changes. 7. Monitor sync status and verify successful authentication for affected users.
Tested: 2026-03-30Monitors: 1 | Incidents: 1Test ID: cmnck1d2p065oobqeiyaltghr