Edit

MessageContents table in Microsoft Defender XDR

The MessageContents table is an advanced hunting table in Microsoft Defender XDR. The table gives authorized security operations center (SOC) analysts access to Microsoft Teams message snippets and associated message metadata. Analysts can use the table to add message context to Teams threat investigations and correlate message information with security signals in other advanced hunting tables. Access requires advanced hunting and the Preview role.

Note

Custom detection rules and streaming aren't available for the MessageContents table.

Prerequisites

  • Access to advanced hunting.
  • The Preview role, which includes the required message preview Read permission.

Review MessageContents table data

The table contains supported Teams messages available through the underlying Teams message metadata source, including messages with URLs and federated messages.

Column name Data type Description
Timestamp datetime Date and time when the message was delivered
TeamsMessageId string Unique identifier for the message
ThreadId string Unique identifier for the channel or chat thread
ThreadName string Name of the channel or chat thread
MessageSnippet string Snippet of the message
ThreadType string Type of thread
SenderEmailAddress string Email address of the message sender
SenderObjectId string Object ID of the message sender

Correlate message data

You can join MessageContents with other advanced hunting tables to correlate Teams message information with other security signals during an investigation.

Control access to MessageContents

Access to MessageContents is permission-controlled because the table can contain Teams message content. Users without the required advanced hunting and message preview permissions can't access or query the table.

Review which security administrators and SOC analysts in your organization need access to Teams message content for threat investigations. Use your organization's role-based access controls to limit access to the appropriate users.

When Email & collaboration > Defender for Office 365 permissions are active in Microsoft Defender XDR Unified role-based access control (RBAC), assign the Preview role through Security operations/Raw data (email & collaboration)/Email & collaboration content (read). This assignment affects the Defender portal only, not PowerShell. For other role configurations, see Actions on the Email entity page.

No action is required if you don't want analysts to use this capability.