Elastic Security Detection Rules

Remote Desktop File Opened from Suspicious Path

Last updated 5 months ago on 2025-03-20
Created 9 months ago on 2024-11-05

About

Identifies attempts to open a remote desktop file from suspicious paths. Adversaries may abuse RDP files for initial access.
Tags
Domain: EndpointOS: WindowsUse Case: Threat DetectionTactic: Initial AccessTactic: Command and ControlData Source: Elastic EndgameData Source: Elastic DefendData Source: Windows Security Event LogsData Source: Microsoft Defender for EndpointData Source: SysmonData Source: SentinelOneLanguage: eql
Severity
medium
Risk Score
47
MITRE ATT&CK™

Initial Access (TA0001)(opens in a new tab or window)

↳ Phishing (T1566)(opens in a new tab or window)

License
Elastic License v2(opens in a new tab or window)

Definition

Rule Type
Event Correlation Rule
Integration Pack
Prebuilt Security Detection Rules
Index Patterns
endgame-*logs-endpoint.events.process-*logs-m365_defender.event-*logs-sentinel_one_cloud_funnel.*logs-system.security*logs-windows.forwarded*logs-windows.sysmon_operational-*winlogbeat-*
Related Integrations

endpoint(opens in a new tab or window)

windows(opens in a new tab or window)

system(opens in a new tab or window)

m365_defender(opens in a new tab or window)

sentinel_one_cloud_funnel(opens in a new tab or window)

Query
process where host.os.type == "windows" and event.type == "start" and
 process.name : "mstsc.exe" and
 process.args : ("?:\\Users\\*\\Downloads\\*.rdp",
                 "?:\\Users\\*\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\Temp?_*.rdp",
                 "?:\\Users\\*\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\7z*.rdp",
                 "?:\\Users\\*\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\Rar$*\\*.rdp",
                 "?:\\Users\\*\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\BNZ.*.rdp",
                 "C:\\Users\\*\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\Windows\\INetCache\\Content.Outlook\\*.rdp")

Install detection rules in Elastic Security

Detect Remote Desktop File Opened from Suspicious Path in the Elastic Security detection engine by installing this rule into your Elastic Stack.

To setup this rule, check out the installation guide for Prebuilt Security Detection Rules(opens in a new tab or window).