Sigma rule: Mstsc.EXE Execution With Local RDP File

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-d1a1f4440631, updated 2023-04-30T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Mstsc.EXE Execution With Local RDP File
Status
test
Level
low
Author
Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Christopher Peacock @securepeacock
Date
2023-04-18
Modified
2023-04-30
File
rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_mstsc_run_local_rdp_file.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects potential RDP connection via Mstsc using a local ".rdp" file

Log source

product
windows
category
process_creation

Detection

selection_img:
    - Image|endswith: '\mstsc.exe'
    - OriginalFileName: 'mstsc.exe'
selection_cli:
    CommandLine|endswith:
        - '.rdp'
        - '.rdp"'
filter_optional_wsl:
    ParentImage: 'C:\Windows\System32\lxss\wslhost.exe'
    CommandLine|contains: 'C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\WSL\wslg.rdp'
condition: all of selection_* and not 1 of filter_optional_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Likely with legitimate usage of ".rdp" files

Tags

  • attack.command-and-control
  • attack.t1219.002

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

References

Read on 2026-11-03T00:58:21.399Z under licence sigma-drl-1.1@d5f4c36a from https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_mstsc_run_local_rdp_file.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Mstsc.EXE Execution With Local RDP File" by Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Christopher Peacock @securepeacock (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_mstsc_run_local_rdp_file.yml.
    Licensed under the Detection Rule License (DRL) 1.1: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/Detection-Rule-License

    Detection Rule License (DRL) 1.1

Cite this page

Dragons Eye Ransomware Tracker, "Sigma rule: Mstsc.EXE Execution With Local RDP File",
entity page, dataset version ref-d1a1f4440631, updated 2023-04-30T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/5fdce3ac-e7f9-4ecd-a3aa-a4d78ebbf0af (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule 5fdce3ac-e7f9-4ecd-a3aa-a4d78ebbf0af, commit ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84.

Pages change. The dataset version identifies the data, but no archive of old versions is kept, so this citation cannot be replayed later.