---
title: RDP is exposed to the internet
description: Datadog, the leading service for cloud-scale monitoring.
breadcrumbs: >-
  Docs > Datadog Security > Code Security > Infrastructure as Code (IaC)
  Security > IaC Security Rules > RDP is exposed to the internet
---

# RDP is exposed to the internet

{% callout %}
# Important note for users on the following Datadog sites: app.ddog-gov.com, us2.ddog-gov.com

{% alert level="danger" %}
This product is not supported for your selected [Datadog site](https://docs.datadoghq.com/getting_started/site.md). ({% placeholder "user-datadog-site-name" /%}).
{% /alert %}

{% /callout %}

## Metadata{% #metadata %}

**Id:** `terraform-azure-rdp-is-exposed-to-the-internet` 

**Provider:** Azure

**Platform:** Terraform

**Severity:** High

**Category:** Networking and Firewall

#### Learn More{% #learn-more %}

- [Provider Reference](https://registry.terraform.io/providers/hashicorp/azurerm/latest/docs/resources/network_security_rule)

### Description{% #description %}

Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) on port 3389 should not be exposed directly to the internet as it creates a significant security risk by allowing potential attackers to attempt brute force attacks against your virtual machines. When network security rules allow TCP traffic on port 3389 from internet sources (using `*`, `0.0.0.0`, `/0`, `internet`, or `any` as `source_address_prefix`), they effectively expose your systems to potential unauthorized access. To mitigate this risk, either deny inbound traffic to port 3389 (access = `Deny`), use a different protocol, or restrict source addresses to specific trusted IP addresses rather than allowing access from anywhere.

## Compliant Code Examples{% #compliant-code-examples %}

```terraform
resource "azurerm_network_security_rule" "negative1" {
     name                        = "example"
     priority                    = 100
     direction                   = "Inbound"
     access                      = "Deny"
     protocol                    = "TCP"
     source_port_range           = "*"
     destination_port_range      = "3389"
     source_address_prefix       = "*"
     destination_address_prefix  = "*"
     resource_group_name         = azurerm_resource_group.example.name
     network_security_group_name = azurerm_network_security_group.example.name
}

resource "azurerm_network_security_rule" "negative2" {
     name                        = "example"
     priority                    = 100
     direction                   = "Inbound"
     access                      = "Allow"
     protocol                    = "UDP"
     source_port_range           = "*"
     destination_port_range      = "2000-5000"
     source_address_prefix       = "*"
     destination_address_prefix  = "*"
     resource_group_name         = azurerm_resource_group.example.name
     network_security_group_name = azurerm_network_security_group.example.name
}


resource "azurerm_network_security_rule" "negative3" {
     name                        = "example"
     priority                    = 100
     direction                   = "Inbound"
     access                      = "Allow"
     protocol                    = "TCP"
     source_port_range           = "*"
     destination_port_range      = "4030-5100"
     source_address_prefix       = "0.0.0.0"
     destination_address_prefix  = "*"
     resource_group_name         = azurerm_resource_group.example.name
     network_security_group_name = azurerm_network_security_group.example.name
}


resource "azurerm_network_security_rule" "negative4" {
     name                        = "example"
     priority                    = 100
     direction                   = "Inbound"
     access                      = "Allow"
     protocol                    = "TCP"
     source_port_range           = "*"
     destination_port_range      = "2100-5300"
     source_address_prefix       = "192.168.0.0"
     destination_address_prefix  = "*"
     resource_group_name         = azurerm_resource_group.example.name
     network_security_group_name = azurerm_network_security_group.example.name
}


resource "azurerm_network_security_rule" "negative5" {
     name                        = "example"
     priority                    = 100
     direction                   = "Inbound"
     access                      = "Allow"
     protocol                    = "TCP"
     source_port_range           = "*"
     destination_port_range      = "3389"
     source_address_prefix       = "/1"
     destination_address_prefix  = "*"
     resource_group_name         = azurerm_resource_group.example.name
     network_security_group_name = azurerm_network_security_group.example.name
}

resource "azurerm_network_security_rule" "negative6" {
     name                        = "example"
     priority                    = 100
     direction                   = "Inbound"
     access                      = "Allow"
     protocol                    = "*"
     source_port_range           = "*"
     destination_port_range      = "3388"
     source_address_prefix       = "/0"
     destination_address_prefix  = "*"
     resource_group_name         = azurerm_resource_group.example.name
     network_security_group_name = azurerm_network_security_group.example.name
}


resource "azurerm_network_security_rule" "negative7" {
     name                        = "example"
     priority                    = 100
     direction                   = "Inbound"
     access                      = "Allow"
     protocol                    = "UDP"
     source_port_range           = "*"
     destination_port_range      = "3389"
     source_address_prefix       = "internet"
     destination_address_prefix  = "*"
     resource_group_name         = azurerm_resource_group.example.name
     network_security_group_name = azurerm_network_security_group.example.name
}


resource "azurerm_network_security_rule" "negative8" {
     name                        = "example"
     priority                    = 100
     direction                   = "Inbound"
     access                      = "Allow"
     protocol                    = "*"
     source_port_range           = "*"
     destination_port_range      = "3388, 3390,1000-2000"
     source_address_prefix       = "any"
     destination_address_prefix  = "*"
     resource_group_name         = azurerm_resource_group.example.name
     network_security_group_name = azurerm_network_security_group.example.name
}


resource "azurerm_network_security_rule" "negative9" {
     name                        = "example"
     priority                    = 100
     direction                   = "Inbound"
     access                      = "Allow"
     protocol                    = "UDP"
     source_port_range           = "*"
     destination_port_range      = "3389"
     source_address_prefix       = "/0"
     destination_address_prefix  = "*"
     resource_group_name         = azurerm_resource_group.example.name
     network_security_group_name = azurerm_network_security_group.example.name
}

resource "azurerm_network_security_rule" "negative10" {
     name                        = "example"
     priority                    = 100
     direction                   = "Inbound"
     access                      = "Allow"
     protocol                    = "TCP"
     source_port_range           = "*"
     destination_port_range      = "3389 ,  3390"
     source_address_prefix       = "0.0.1.0"
     destination_address_prefix  = "*"
     resource_group_name         = azurerm_resource_group.example.name
     network_security_group_name = azurerm_network_security_group.example.name
}

resource "azurerm_network_security_rule" "negative11" {
     name                        = "example"
     priority                    = 100
     direction                   = "Inbound"
     access                      = "Allow"
     protocol                    = "TCP"
     source_port_range           = "*"
     destination_port_range      = "338,389"
     source_address_prefix       = "0.0.0.0"
     destination_address_prefix  = "*"
     resource_group_name         = azurerm_resource_group.example.name
     network_security_group_name = azurerm_network_security_group.example.name
}
```

## Non-Compliant Code Examples{% #non-compliant-code-examples %}

```terraform
resource "azurerm_network_security_rule" "positive1" {
     name                        = "example"
     priority                    = 100
     direction                   = "Inbound"
     access                      = "Allow"
     protocol                    = "TCP"
     source_port_range           = "*"
     destination_port_range      = "3389"
     source_address_prefix       = "*"
     destination_address_prefix  = "*"
     resource_group_name         = azurerm_resource_group.example.name
     network_security_group_name = azurerm_network_security_group.example.name
}

resource "azurerm_network_security_rule" "positive2" {
     name                        = "example"
     priority                    = 100
     direction                   = "Inbound"
     access                      = "Allow"
     protocol                    = "TCP"
     source_port_range           = "*"
     destination_port_range      = "3389-3390"
     source_address_prefix       = "*"
     destination_address_prefix  = "*"
     resource_group_name         = azurerm_resource_group.example.name
     network_security_group_name = azurerm_network_security_group.example.name
}

resource "azurerm_network_security_rule" "positive3" {
     name                        = "example"
     priority                    = 100
     direction                   = "Inbound"
     access                      = "Allow"
     protocol                    = "TCP"
     source_port_range           = "*"
     destination_port_range      = "3388-3389"
     source_address_prefix       = "*"
     destination_address_prefix  = "*"
     resource_group_name         = azurerm_resource_group.example.name
     network_security_group_name = azurerm_network_security_group.example.name
}

resource "azurerm_network_security_rule" "positive4" {
     name                        = "example"
     priority                    = 100
     direction                   = "Inbound"
     access                      = "Allow"
     protocol                    = "TCP"
     source_port_range           = "*"
     destination_port_range      = "3389"
     source_address_prefix       = "0.0.0.0"
     destination_address_prefix  = "*"
     resource_group_name         = azurerm_resource_group.example.name
     network_security_group_name = azurerm_network_security_group.example.name
}

resource "azurerm_network_security_rule" "positive5" {
     name                        = "example"
     priority                    = 100
     direction                   = "Inbound"
     access                      = "Allow"
     protocol                    = "TCP"
     source_port_range           = "*"
     destination_port_range      = "3389,3391"
     source_address_prefix       = "34.15.11.3/0"
     destination_address_prefix  = "*"
     resource_group_name         = azurerm_resource_group.example.name
     network_security_group_name = azurerm_network_security_group.example.name
}

resource "azurerm_network_security_rule" "positive6" {
     name                        = "example"
     priority                    = 100
     direction                   = "Inbound"
     access                      = "Allow"
     protocol                    = "TCP"
     source_port_range           = "*"
     destination_port_range      = "3389"
     source_address_prefix       = "/0"
     destination_address_prefix  = "*"
     resource_group_name         = azurerm_resource_group.example.name
     network_security_group_name = azurerm_network_security_group.example.name
}

resource "azurerm_network_security_rule" "positive7" {
     name                        = "example"
     priority                    = 100
     direction                   = "Inbound"
     access                      = "Allow"
     protocol                    = "TCP"
     source_port_range           = "*"
     destination_port_range      = "3388-3390, 23000"
     source_address_prefix       = "internet"
     destination_address_prefix  = "*"
     resource_group_name         = azurerm_resource_group.example.name
     network_security_group_name = azurerm_network_security_group.example.name
}

resource "azurerm_network_security_rule" "positive8" {
     name                        = "example"
     priority                    = 100
     direction                   = "Inbound"
     access                      = "Allow"
     protocol                    = "TCP"
     source_port_range           = "*"
     destination_port_range      = "3387, 3389 , 3391 "
     source_address_prefix       = "any"
     destination_address_prefix  = "*"
     resource_group_name         = azurerm_resource_group.example.name
     network_security_group_name = azurerm_network_security_group.example.name
}

resource "azurerm_network_security_rule" "positive9" {
     name                        = "example"
     priority                    = 100
     direction                   = "Inbound"
     access                      = "Allow"
     protocol                    = "*"
     source_port_range           = "*"
     destination_port_range      = "3388, 3389-3390,2250"
     source_address_prefix       = "/0"
     destination_address_prefix  = "*"
     resource_group_name         = azurerm_resource_group.example.name
     network_security_group_name = azurerm_network_security_group.example.name
}

resource "azurerm_network_security_rule" "positive10" {
     name                        = "example"
     priority                    = 100
     direction                   = "Inbound"
     access                      = "Allow"
     protocol                    = "*"
     source_port_range           = "*"
     destination_port_range      = "111-211, 2000-4430, 1-2 , 3"
     source_address_prefix       = "internet"
     destination_address_prefix  = "*"
     resource_group_name         = azurerm_resource_group.example.name
     network_security_group_name = azurerm_network_security_group.example.name
}

resource "azurerm_network_security_rule" "positive11" {
  name                        = "example"
  priority                    = 100
  direction                   = "Inbound"
  access                      = "Allow"
  protocol                    = "*"
  source_port_range           = "*"
  destination_port_range      = "111-211, 2000-4430, 1-2 , 3"
  source_address_prefix       = "Internet"
  destination_address_prefix  = "*"
  resource_group_name         = azurerm_resource_group.example.name
  network_security_group_name = azurerm_network_security_group.example.name
}

resource "azurerm_network_security_rule" "positive12" {
  name                        = "example"
  priority                    = 100
  direction                   = "Inbound"
  access                      = "Allow"
  protocol                    = "*"
  source_port_range           = "*"
  destination_port_range      = "3389"
  source_address_prefixes     = ["something", "Internet", "somethingElse"]
  destination_address_prefix  = "*"
  resource_group_name         = azurerm_resource_group.example.name
  network_security_group_name = azurerm_network_security_group.example.name
}

resource "azurerm_network_security_rule" "positive13" {
  name                        = "inbound"
  priority                    = 1010
  direction                   = "Inbound"
  access                      = "Allow"
  protocol                    = "*"
  source_port_range           = "*"
  destination_port_range      = "1024-49151"
  destination_address_prefix  = "*"
  resource_group_name         = local.vnet_name
  network_security_group_name = azurerm_network_security_group.edge_infra.name
  source_address_prefix       = "Internet"
}
```