Sigma rule: Scheduled Task Executing Encoded Payload from Registry

Rule

Title

Scheduled Task Executing Encoded Payload from Registry

Status

test

Level

high

Author

pH-T (Nextron Systems), @Kostastsale, TheDFIRReport, X__Junior (Nextron Systems), Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)

Date

2022-02-12

Modified

2023-02-04

File

rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_schtasks_reg_loader_encoded.yml

Commit

ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects the creation of a schtask that potentially executes a base64 encoded payload stored in the Windows Registry using PowerShell.

Log source

product

windows

category

process_creation

Detection

selection_img:
    # schtasks.exe /Create /F /TN "{97F2F70B-10D1-4447-A2F3-9B070C86E261}" /TR "cmd /c start /min \"\" powershell.exe -Command IEX([System.Text.Encoding]::ASCII.GetString([System.Convert]::FromBase64String((Get-ItemProperty -Path HKCU:\SOFTWARE\Pvoeooxf).yzbbvhhdypa))) " /SC MINUTE /MO 30
    - Image|endswith: '\schtasks.exe'
    - OriginalFileName: 'schtasks.exe'
selection_cli_create:
    CommandLine|contains: '/Create'
selection_cli_encoding:
    CommandLine|contains:
        - 'FromBase64String'
        - 'encodedcommand'
selection_cli_get:
    CommandLine|contains:
        - 'Get-ItemProperty'
        - ' gp ' # Alias
selection_cli_hive:
    CommandLine|contains:
        - 'HKCU:'
        - 'HKLM:'
        - 'registry::'
        - 'HKEY_'
condition: all of selection_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

• Unlikely

Tags

• attack.privilege-escalation
• attack.execution
• attack.persistence
• attack.t1053.005
• attack.t1059.001

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

• T1053.005
• T1059.001

References

• https://thedfirreport.com/2022/02/21/qbot-and-zerologon-lead-to-full-domain-compromise/

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_reg_loader_encoded.yml