Sigma rule: Delete Important Scheduled Task

A detection rule from the SigmaHQ repository, shown as its author published it. Dataset version ref-0c49d0d2de62, updated 2026-03-11T00:00:00.000Z.

Rule

Title
Delete Important Scheduled Task
Status
test
Level
high
Author
Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems)
Date
2022-09-09
Modified
2026-03-11
File
rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_schtasks_delete.yml
Commit
ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84

Detects when adversaries stop services or processes by deleting their respective scheduled tasks in order to conduct data destructive activities

Log source

product
windows
category
process_creation

Detection

selection_img:
    - Image|endswith: '\schtasks.exe'
    - OriginalFileName: 'schtasks.exe'
selection_cli_delete:
    CommandLine|contains|windash: '/delete'
selection_cli_task:
    CommandLine|contains:
        # Add more important tasks
        - '\Windows\BitLocker'
        - '\Windows\ExploitGuard'
        - '\Windows\SystemRestore\SR'
        - '\Windows\UpdateOrchestrator\'
        - '\Windows\Windows Defender\'
        - '\Windows\WindowsBackup\'
        - '\Windows\WindowsUpdate\'
condition: all of selection_*

False positives (as the rule lists them)

  • Unlikely

Tags

  • attack.impact
  • attack.t1489

MITRE ATT&CK ids this rule names

Related rules

References

  • Internal Research

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_delete.yml

Sources and licences

  • SigmaHQ

    "Delete Important Scheduled Task" by Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ). Rule: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_schtasks_delete.yml.
    Licensed under the Detection Rule License (DRL) 1.1: https://github.com/SigmaHQ/Detection-Rule-License

    Detection Rule License (DRL) 1.1

Cite this page

Dragons Eye Ransomware Tracker, "Sigma rule: Delete Important Scheduled Task",
entity page, dataset version ref-0c49d0d2de62, updated 2026-03-11T00:00:00.000Z,
https://ransomware-tracker.com/detections/sigma/dbc1f800-0fe0-4bc0-9c66-292c2abe3f78 (accessed 2026-11-03).
Underlying source: SigmaHQ rule dbc1f800-0fe0-4bc0-9c66-292c2abe3f78, commit ccbb0369507f796db0b0ae6854c8a2be471b9d84.

Pages change. The dataset version identifies the data, but no archive of old versions is kept, so this citation cannot be replayed later.