On this page
OSSEC / HIDS Rule 40112
- Rule family: OSSEC / HIDS
- Rule ID: 40112
- Definition status: Present in current source
- Alert message / subject: Multiple authentication failures followed by a success.
- Rule level: 12
- Definition checked: 2026-10-21
- Timeframe (seconds): 240
Interpretation and response
This event is recorded as “Multiple authentication failures followed by a success.” 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
Multiple login failures followed by a success.
What you should do
This means there were multiple login failures from the same source IP, followed by a successful login. This could be an IOC of a successful brute force attack.
Troubleshooting
False Positives
A legitimate event may still trigger this rule. Review the surrounding activity before deciding whether it is malicious.
Tuning Guidance
There is no guidance for tuning this rule, this is a generic error and the rule should not be disabled.
Additional Information
Support
If you are unsure about how to respond to this alert, please contact Atomicorp support. We’re here to help you!
Source and revision
Migrated from HIDS_40112, wiki page 903, revision 6269 (20201023). 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 .