IMPORTANT: No additional bug fixes or documentation updates will be released for this version. For the latest information, see the current release documentation.

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Scheduled Task Created by a Windows Script

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Scheduled Task Created by a Windows Script

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A scheduled task was created by a Windows script via cscript.exe, wscript.exe or powershell.exe. This can be abused by an adversary to establish persistence.

Rule type: eql

Rule indices:

winlogbeat-*
logs-endpoint.events.registry-*
logs-endpoint.events.library-*
logs-windows.sysmon_operational-*
endgame-*

Severity: medium

Risk score: 47

Runs every: 5m

Searches indices from: now-9m (Date Math format, see also Additional look-back time)

Maximum alerts per execution: 100

References: None

Tags:

Domain: Endpoint
OS: Windows
Use Case: Threat Detection
Tactic: Persistence
Tactic: Execution
Data Source: Elastic Endgame
Data Source: Elastic Defend
Data Source: Sysmon

Version: 208

Rule authors:

Elastic

Rule license: Elastic License v2

Investigation guide

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Triage and analysis

Decode the base64 encoded Tasks Actions registry value to investigate the task’s configured action.

Rule query

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sequence by host.id with maxspan = 30s
  [any where host.os.type == "windows" and
    (event.category : ("library", "driver") or (event.category == "process" and event.action : "Image loaded*")) and
    (?dll.name : "taskschd.dll" or file.name : "taskschd.dll") and
    process.name : ("cscript.exe", "wscript.exe", "powershell.exe", "pwsh.exe", "powershell_ise.exe")]
  [registry where host.os.type == "windows" and event.type == "change" and registry.value : "Actions" and
    registry.path : (
      "HKLM\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows NT\\CurrentVersion\\Schedule\\TaskCache\\Tasks\\*\\Actions",
      "\\REGISTRY\\MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\Windows NT\\CurrentVersion\\Schedule\\TaskCache\\Tasks\\*\\Actions"
  )]

Framework: MITRE ATT&CK^TM

Tactic:
- Name: Persistence
- ID: TA0003
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0003/
Technique:
- Name: Scheduled Task/Job
- ID: T1053
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1053/
Sub-technique:
- Name: Scheduled Task
- ID: T1053.005
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1053/005/
Tactic:
- Name: Execution
- ID: TA0002
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0002/
Technique:
- Name: Command and Scripting Interpreter
- ID: T1059
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1059/
Sub-technique:
- Name: PowerShell
- ID: T1059.001
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1059/001/
Sub-technique:
- Name: Visual Basic
- ID: T1059.005
- Reference URL: https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1059/005/

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