Criminal groups, including the notorious collective, utilize automated scanners to find open RDP ports. These scanners often output their "hits"—the IP addresses of vulnerable servers—into text files for later exploitation. Akamai Blog
It is a common output file for infostealers and credential harvesters. Tools like "RDP Thief" can inject themselves into the Remote Desktop process ( mstsc.exe ) and log every username and password you enter directly into a plaintext file, often named rdp.txt , stored in public directories like C:\Users\Public\ . Medium (firef0x00) Why Hackers Love This File RDP.txt
Look for unusual login patterns or unauthorized use of mstsc.exe . Tools like "RDP Thief" can inject themselves into
Multi-factor authentication effectively nullifies the value of a stolen password in a text file. Legitimate scripts usually reside in protected admin folders
Legitimate scripts usually reside in protected admin folders. If you find rdp.txt in %TEMP% or C:\Users\Public\ , it is likely malicious.
Use EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) tools to alert you whenever a process creates a .txt file containing IP addresses or login strings.
If you are an IT professional, seeing an unexpected RDP.txt should trigger an immediate incident response. Here is how to stay ahead: