Suspicious RDP Connection File Opened From Download or Mail Directory via Process Creation

ATT&CK techniques

Initial Access → Lateral Movement

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
- T1566.001Spearphishing Attachment
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
- T1021.001Remote Desktop Protocol
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule detects the Remote Desktop client opening an .rdp configuration file launched from a downloads, temp or Outlook attachment directory, the delivery vector in the Midnight Blizzard spear-phishing campaign. The malicious signed RDP files enable bidirectional resource mapping of drives, clipboard and printers to attacker servers, exposing local data on connection.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1021.001 — drag to rearrange

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Suspicious RDP Enablement via netsh Firewall Rule

Suspicious RDP Enablement via fDenyTSConnections Registry Modification

Suspicious RDP Enablement via fDenyTSConnections Registry Modification [Huntress] #2

Suspicious RDP Connection File Opened From Download or Mail Directory via Process Creation

Pivot detection · T1021.001 · 9 related

Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.

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