Sigma rule: Suspicious Mstsc.EXE Execution With Local RDP File

Rule

Title

Suspicious Mstsc.EXE Execution With Local RDP File

Status

test

Level

high

Author

Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)

Date

2023-04-18

File

rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_mstsc_run_local_rdp_file_susp_location.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects potential RDP connection via Mstsc using a local ".rdp" file located in suspicious locations.

Log source

product

windows

category

process_creation

Detection

selection_img:
    - Image|endswith: '\mstsc.exe'
    - OriginalFileName: 'mstsc.exe'
selection_extension:
    CommandLine|endswith:
        - '.rdp'
        - '.rdp"'
selection_paths:
    # Note: This list of paths is better transformed into a whitelist where you only exclude legitimate locations you use in your env
    CommandLine|contains:
        - ':\Users\Public\'
        - ':\Windows\System32\spool\drivers\color'
        - ':\Windows\System32\Tasks_Migrated '
        - ':\Windows\Tasks\'
        - ':\Windows\Temp\'
        - ':\Windows\Tracing\'
        - '\AppData\Local\Temp\'
        # - '\Desktop\' # Could be source of FP depending on the environment
        - '\Downloads\' # Could be source of FP depending on the environment
condition: all of selection_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Likelihood is related to how often the paths are used in the environment

Tags

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

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1219.002

References

• https://www.blackhillsinfosec.com/rogue-rdp-revisiting-initial-access-methods/
• https://web.archive.org/web/20230726144748/https://blog.thickmints.dev/mintsights/detecting-rogue-rdp/

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_susp_location.yml