Sigma rule: Schedule Task Creation From Env Variable Or Potentially Suspicious Path Via Schtasks.EXE

Rule

Title

Schedule Task Creation From Env Variable Or Potentially Suspicious Path Via Schtasks.EXE

Status

test

Level

medium

Author

Florian Roth (Nextron Systems)

Date

2022-02-21

Modified

2025-10-07

File

rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_schtasks_env_folder.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects Schtask creations that point to a suspicious folder or an environment variable often used by malware

Log source

product

windows

category

process_creation

Detection

selection_1_create:
    Image|endswith: '\schtasks.exe'
    CommandLine|contains|windash: ' /create '
selection_1_all_folders:
    CommandLine|contains:
        - ':\Perflogs'
        - ':\Users\All Users\'
        - ':\Users\Default\'
        - ':\Users\Public'
        - ':\Windows\Temp'
        - '\AppData\Local\'
        - '\AppData\Roaming\'
        - '%AppData%'
        - '%Public%'
selection_2_parent:
    ParentCommandLine|endswith: '\svchost.exe -k netsvcs -p -s Schedule'
selection_2_some_folders:
    CommandLine|contains:
        - ':\Perflogs'
        - ':\Windows\Temp'
        - '\Users\Public'
        - '%Public%'
filter_optional_other:
    - ParentCommandLine|contains: 'unattended.ini'
    - CommandLine|contains: 'update_task.xml'
filter_optional_team_viewer:
    CommandLine|contains: '/Create /TN TVInstallRestore /TR'
filter_optional_avira_install:
    # Comment out this filter if you dont use AVIRA
    CommandLine|contains|all:
        - '/Create /Xml '
        - '\Temp\.CR.'
        - '\Avira_Security_Installation.xml'
filter_optional_avira_other:
    # Comment out this filter if you dont use AVIRA
    CommandLine|contains|all:
        - '/Create /F /TN'
        - '/Xml '
        - '\Temp\'
        - 'Avira_'
    CommandLine|contains:
        - '.tmp\UpdateFallbackTask.xml'
        - '.tmp\WatchdogServiceControlManagerTimeout.xml'
        - '.tmp\SystrayAutostart.xml'
        - '.tmp\MaintenanceTask.xml'
filter_optional_klite_codec:
    CommandLine|contains|all:
        - '\Temp\'
        - '/Create /TN "klcp_update" /XML '
        - '\klcp_update_task.xml'
condition: ( all of selection_1_* or all of selection_2_* ) and not 1 of filter_optional_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Benign scheduled tasks creations or executions that happen often during software installations
• Software that uses the AppData folder and scheduled tasks to update the software in the AppData folders

Tags

• attack.privilege-escalation
• attack.persistence
• attack.execution
• attack.t1053.005

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1053.005

Related rules

• 43f487f0-755f-4c2a-bce7-d6d2eec2fcf8 (derived)

References

• https://www.welivesecurity.com/2022/01/18/donot-go-do-not-respawn/
• https://www.joesandbox.com/analysis/514608/0/html#324415FF7D8324231381BAD48A052F85DF04
• https://blog.talosintelligence.com/gophish-powerrat-dcrat/

Read on 2026-11-03T00:58:21.399Z under licence sigma-drl-1.1@d5f4c36a from https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_schtasks_env_folder.yml