huntrule

Windows: User Added to Local Remote Desktop Users Group via Net or PowerShell

Detects Windows command-line activity that adds a user to the local Remote Desktop Users group using net localgroup or Add-LocalGroupMember.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v1
Product
windows
Category
process_creation
Author
Florian Roth (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published
2021-12-06
Updated
2026-07-30
AnalysisDetection

ATT&CK techniques

Initial Access → Lateral Movement

  1. Recon

  2. Resource Dev

  3. Initial Access

  4. Execution

  5. Persistence

  6. Priv Esc

  7. Defense Evasion

  8. Cred Access

  9. Discovery

  10. Lateral Movement

  11. Collection

  12. C2

  13. Exfiltration

  14. Impact

What it detects

This rule flags process executions that add an account to the local "Remote Desktop Users" group using either the net command ("localgroup" with "/add") or PowerShell ("Add-LocalGroupMember"). Adding users to this group can enable interactive remote access, increasing persistence and facilitating lateral movement. It relies on Windows process creation telemetry capturing command-line arguments that include the group name and the add operation.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1136.001 — drag to rearrange
OpenCanary RDP New Connection Attempt on Application Logtype 14001
Suspicious Enabling of Remote Desktop via fDenyTSConnections Registry by DeadLock Ransomware
Suspicious Local Account Creation via Net User in Pre-Ransomware Phase
Suspicious Hidden Local Account Creation via Net User by UAT-8099
Malicious Local Account Creation of Support or Whiteninja via net.exe
Suspicious Plink SSH Tunnel Execution (via process_creation)
Suspicious Remote Desktop Enabled via fDenyTSConnections Registry by Sandworm
Malicious Dynamicweb Unauthenticated Administrator Creation via Setup Default.aspx (via webserver)
Suspicious Hidden Backdoor Account Creation Ending With Dollar Sign (via process_creation)
Windows: User Added to Local Remote Desktop Users Group via Net or PowerShell
Pivot detection · T1136.001 · 9 related

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