On this page
OSSEC / HIDS Rule 18180
- Rule family: OSSEC / HIDS
- Rule ID: 18180
- Definition status: Present in current source
- Alert message / subject: MS SQL Server Logon Failure.
- Rule level: 5
- Definition checked: 2026-10-21
Interpretation and response
This event is recorded as “MS SQL Server Logon Failure.” Review the originating log and the affected host or service to determine whether the activity was expected.
An OSSEC/HIDS event records or correlates activity. Blocking depends on the originating application and any separately configured Active Response policy; an alert alone does not prove that an attack was blocked.
Documentation
The following guidance was migrated from the historical wiki and reviewed against the rule definition. Legacy ASL product names and interface instructions refer to the versions documented then. Use the current metadata above and your installed configuration when interpreting thresholds, notification settings and response behavior.
Description
This rule detects when a user login to MS SQL has failed.
Troubleshooting
False Positives
A legitimate event may still trigger this rule. Review the surrounding activity before deciding whether it is malicious. If you believe this is a false positive, please report this to our security team to determine if this is a legitimate case, or if its clever attack on your system. Do not disable this rule.
Instructions to report false positives are detailed on the Reporting False Positives documentation page. If it is a false positive, we will fix the issue in the rules and get a release out to you promptly.`
Source and revision
Migrated from HIDS_18180, wiki page 720, revision 6056 (20200824). Documentation review: 2026-10-21. An archived wiki status of Active is not a current deployment status.
For assistance, provide the rule ID, installed product and rule version, and a sanitized event to Atomicorp support .