Renamed Schtasks Execution — Sigma Rule

Rule metadata and linked tags

Author: Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (Nextron Systems). Source status: experimental; severity: high. Source dates: 2025-11-27 / not supplied.

{
  "category": "process_creation",
  "product": "windows"
}

Pinned original Sigma rule · Detection Rule License 1.1

Source SHA-256: 3c9a309363d14552c5437f2ac422be588b02aed4cf27792f20c2504caff1c2d3

Detection logic

Original source YAML. Source-tag agreement is not proof of complete semantic coverage. This rule has not been compiled for a SIEM backend or validated against live telemetry here.

title: Renamed Schtasks Execution
id: f91e51c9-f344-4b32-969b-0b6f6b8537d4
status: experimental
description: |
    Detects the execution of renamed schtasks.exe binary, which is a legitimate Windows utility used for scheduling tasks.
    One of the very common persistence techniques is schedule malicious tasks using schtasks.exe.
    Since, it is heavily abused, it is also heavily monitored by security products. To evade detection, threat actors may rename the schtasks.exe binary to schedule their malicious tasks.
references:
    - https://x.com/JangPr0/status/1932034543026065833
    - https://ss64.com/nt/schtasks.html
author: Swachchhanda Shrawan Poudel (Nextron Systems)
date: 2025-11-27
tags:
    - attack.execution
    - attack.persistence
    - attack.privilege-escalation
    - attack.stealth
    - attack.t1036.003
    - attack.t1053.005
logsource:
    category: process_creation
    product: windows
detection:
    selection_cmd_operation:
        CommandLine|contains|windash:
            - ' /create '
            - ' /delete '
            - ' /query '
            - ' /change '
            - ' /run '
            - ' /end '
    selection_cmd_flags:
        CommandLine|contains|windash:
            - ' /tn '
            - ' /tr '
            - ' /sc '
            - ' /st '
            - ' /ru '
            - ' /fo '
    selection_pe:
        OriginalFileName: 'schtasks.exe'
    filter_main_cmd:
        CommandLine|contains: 'schtasks'
    filter_main_img:
        Image|endswith: '\schtasks.exe'
    condition: (all of selection_cmd_* and not filter_main_cmd) or (selection_pe and not filter_main_img)
falsepositives:
    - Unlikely
level: high

Original YAML and metadata in JSON

False positives

• Unlikely

Source references

• https://x.com/JangPr0/status/1932034543026065833
• https://ss64.com/nt/schtasks.html