Question

Limiting RDP access in a Server 2003 environment

Asked by: msmc

I am wondering what the best approach would be to limit RDP access to certain machines for a particular user.  Can that be done with Group Policy, OU, or IAS?

Scenario: A user RDPs into one server.  Problem: The user can now open up another RDP session and go anywhere they want in the network.  This is more than a simple rights issue.  Please be as descriptive as possible in your solution.

Thanks.

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Asked On
2005-10-04 at 14:45:08ID21583862
Tags

rdp

,

access

,

2003

Topic

Windows 2003 Server

Participating Experts
4
Points
250
Comments
8

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Answers

 

by: DevonccPosted on 2005-10-04 at 15:10:45ID: 15018152

GPO might be able to but you may start restricting your self for other stuff, I could be wrong though.

Your best bet would be to go to the workstations and right click my computer -> Properties -> "Remote" Tab -> change the "allow users to connect remotely to this computer" to allow only specific people or uncheck it so that nobody is allowed.

hth,

Devon

 

by: victorbxPosted on 2005-10-04 at 15:27:26ID: 15018215

Hi Msmc,
the following worked for me,
Locate the file : MSTSC.exe in c:\windows\system32

remove read and excute from the group that this user is a member of ( usually users group )


Good Luck

Victor

 

by: colin_harfordPosted on 2005-10-04 at 18:13:20ID: 15018762

By default for remote admin, a user cannot remote in  to a machine unless one of two things is true...

First: User has amin access to the machine
Second: User is a member of remote users for that machine.

Does the user in question have either of these access?  

If the user has admin access to the machines, how is that setup?  know the local admin password, member of domain admin, etc?

 

by: msmcPosted on 2005-10-05 at 07:36:51ID: 15022181

Devoncc - we have to allow RDP rights on the initial server they need access to.  The problem is once they are in that server, they can relaunch RDP from there and connect to another server.  At this time, I cannot just turn off RDP access for the rest of the servers as we have terminal servers, domain controllers, and sql servers.

Victorbx - see above.

colin harford - they will be a member allowed access under RDP tab, but not an admin of the domain or the local machine.

I hope that helps clarify some things.  

 

by: colin_harfordPosted on 2005-10-05 at 07:42:39ID: 15022242

So, on the first boxen, they are a member of the remote desktop users group to that machine...


For them to sucessfully login to a different machine they need one of the following:

First: User has amin access to the machine
Second: User is a member of remote  desktop users for that machine.

If neither of them are true, by default they cannot login...



Unless someone has gone in to at the domain or local security policy and changed in Local Policies\User Rights Assignment:

Allow logon through Terminal Services.

Similarily, you can modify Deny logon through Terminal Services, and add the user account in question there.


 

by: colin_harfordPosted on 2005-10-05 at 07:45:46ID: 15022283

Allow me to clarify:

Users cannot remote desktop in by default to a machine running in remote admin mode unless they are either a member of the admin group to that machine (local admin, domain admin, etc) or a member of the machine local remote desktop users group (they are added to that via users and groups, or via the system panel, in the remote tab, and added in select remote users...


 

by: ChryyysPosted on 2005-10-05 at 13:41:02ID: 15025419

on the machines that you would like to limit access, from the administative tools open 'Terminal Services Configuration'

one there you should see the 'Connections' folder in the left pane of the window, and on the right pane you should see 'RDP-Tcp'  right-click on 'RDP-Tcp' and choose properties

locate the 'Permissions' tab, no if it were me I would create a global group and make the user(s) that you want to restrict member of that group. Then under the 'Permissions' tab add the group and choose the 'Deny' options.

 

by: colin_harfordPosted on 2005-10-07 at 07:39:53ID: 15038991

msmc,

I had an answer above which did the same thing with:


Unless someone has gone in to at the domain or local security policy and changed in Local Policies\User Rights Assignment:

Allow logon through Terminal Services.

Similarily, you can modify Deny logon through Terminal Services, and add the user account in question there.

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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