Detecting RDP Brute Force Attacks

Overview

RDP brute force attacks target Windows Remote Desktop Protocol services by attempting rapid credential guessing against exposed RDP endpoints. Detection relies on analyzing Windows Security Event Logs for Event ID 4625 (failed logon with Logon Type 10 or 3) and correlating with Event ID 4624 (successful logon) to identify compromised accounts. This skill covers parsing EVTX files with python-evtx, identifying attack patterns through source IP frequency analysis, detecting NLA bypass attempts, and generating actionable detection reports.

When to Use

• When investigating security incidents that require detecting rdp brute force attacks
• When building detection rules or threat hunting queries for this domain
• When SOC analysts need structured procedures for this analysis type
• When validating security monitoring coverage for related attack techniques

Prerequisites

• Python 3.9+ with python-evtx, lxml libraries
• Windows Security EVTX log files (exported from Event Viewer or collected via WEF)
• Understanding of Windows authentication Event IDs (4624, 4625, 4776)
• Familiarity with RDP Logon Types (Type 3 for NLA, Type 10 for RemoteInteractive)