How good is Windows RDP's encryption?

[Mikhail Teterin]

The XP servers support encryption (except in French versions of XP) in the
Remote Desktop Protocl (RDP) and so do the clients -- at least, the one
from http://www.rdesktop.org/ , which is what I plan to use.

But how easy is it to crack? I need to be able to access friend's three
Windows desktops once in a while and can setup ssh-tunneling, or simply
configure his firewall device to forward 3 different ports on his public
IP-address to the port 3389 ("rdp") on his three different private IPs.

The second option is certainly simpler -- how dangerous is it? Is the
encryption of the protocol real or is it just some kind of obfuscation
easily openable by anyone, able to sniff a couple of hours worth of
traffic?

Thanks!

-mi

 

[Sooner Al [MVP]]

Its encrypted at 128-bits so using a *strong password* should be sufficient.

With that said...personally I run RD through a SSH tunnel and use a public/private key with a strong
passphrase verus password authentication.

--

Al Jarvi (MS-MVP Windows Networking)

Please post *ALL* questions and replies to the news group for the mutual benefit of all of us...
The MS-MVP Program - http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights...

 

[David Magda]

Its encrypted at 128-bits so using a *strong password* should be
sufficient.

With that said...personally I run RD through a SSH tunnel and use a
public/private key with a strong passphrase verus password
authentication.

Just because something has been sprinkled with '128-bit encryption
pixie dust' doesn't mean it's secure. Heck, WEP can use 104 bits and
do you think anyone trusts it?

It all depends on your level of paranoia.

 

[Sooner Al [MVP]]

Here is an old thread that may be of interest concerning this issue...

http://groups-beta.google.com/group...hor:Sooner+author:Al&rnum=21#f5e9adef25d5d6a7

--

Al Jarvi (MS-MVP Windows Networking)

Please post *ALL* questions and replies to the news group for the mutual benefit of all of us...
The MS-MVP Program - http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights...

 

[Mikhail Teterin]

Except I can't have Putty running doing port-forwarding and login to the
same desktop at the same time... Countless innovative ways to suck...

-mi