Remote Desktop File Opened from Suspicious Path

Identifies attempts to open a remote desktop file from suspicious paths. Adversaries may abuse RDP files for initial access.

Rule type: eql

Rule indices:

winlogbeat-*
logs-endpoint.events.process-*
logs-windows.forwarded*
logs-windows.sysmon_operational-*
endgame-*
logs-system.security*
logs-m365_defender.event-*
logs-sentinel_one_cloud_funnel.*

Severity: medium

Risk score: 47

Runs every: 5m

Searches indices from: now-9m (Date Math format, see also Additional look-back time)

Maximum alerts per execution: 100

References:

Tags:

Domain: Endpoint
OS: Windows
Use Case: Threat Detection
Tactic: Initial Access
Tactic: Command and Control
Data Source: Elastic Endgame
Data Source: Elastic Defend
Data Source: System
Data Source: Microsoft Defender for Endpoint
Data Source: Sysmon
Data Source: SentinelOne

Version: 1

Rule authors:

Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License v2

Rule query

edit

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")

Framework: MITRE ATT&CK^TM

Tactic:
- Name: Initial Access
- ID: TA0001
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0001/
Technique:
- Name: Phishing
- ID: T1566
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1566/
Sub-technique:
- Name: Spearphishing Attachment
- ID: T1566.001
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1566/001/

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