TA0008 · LATERAL MOVEMENT
RDP Hijacking
Adversaries may hijack a legitimate user’s remote desktop session to move laterally within an environment. Remote desktop is a common feature in operating systems.
Detect it with
Consider monitoring processes for tscon.exe usage and monitor service creation that uses cmd.exe /k or cmd.exe /c in its arguments to detect RDP session hijacking. Use of RDP may be legitimate, depending on the network environment and how it is used.
Why it matters on shift
RDP Hijacking is one of the concrete ways adversaries achieve lateral movement. Recognising it in telemetry lets you name the technique in your ticket and pivot to what came before and after.
What to look for next
After lateral movement, the next tactic is usually Collection. Search your telemetry for the transition before closing the ticket.
Kill-chain context