Suspicious Scheduled Task Creation Running VBScript for Persistence via Command Line

ATT&CK techniques

Execution → Priv Esc

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
- T1053.005Scheduled Task
Persistence
- T1053.005Scheduled Task
Priv Esc
- T1053.005Scheduled Task
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule detects creation of a scheduled task that launches a VBScript through wscript or cscript, a persistence pattern used by the AsyncRAT loader in Operation PhantomControl. Attackers register such tasks to relaunch their loader after reboot. Catching the task registration surfaces persistence establishment early in the intrusion.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1053.005 — drag to rearrange

Suspicious Per-Minute Scheduled Task Creation via schtasks for GOVERSHELL Persistence

Suspicious Scheduled Task Running WScript With JScript Engine

Suspicious SUNBURST EventCacheManager Scheduled Task Artifact (via process_creation)

Suspicious Scheduled Task Creation Running VBS at One Minute Interval via Blind Eagle (via process_creation)

Suspicious Latrodectus Payload Execution from Custom_update Directory (via process_creation)

Suspicious Scheduled Task Persistence Named SchedulerLsass via schtasks (via process_creation)

Malicious SYSTEM Persistence via Scheduled Task Running rundll32 at Startup (via process_creation)

Suspicious Per-Minute SYSTEM Scheduled Task With Highest Privileges

Suspicious Scheduled Task Executing Rundll32 DLL Export by Ordinal

Suspicious Scheduled Task Creation Running VBScript for Persistence via Command Line

Pivot detection · T1053.005 · 9 related

Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.

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