Suspicious Scheduled Task Running WScript With JScript Engine

PremiumReviewedSigma · High · v1
Product
windows
Category
process_creation
Author
HuntRule
Published
2026-11-02
Updated
2026-11-02

ATT&CK techniques

Execution → Priv Esc
  1. Recon

  2. Resource Dev

  3. Initial Access

  4. Defense Evasion

  5. Cred Access

  6. Discovery

  7. Lateral Movement

  8. Collection

  9. C2

  10. Exfiltration

  11. Impact

What it detects

This rule detects creation of a scheduled task that launches wscript.exe forcing the JScript engine. Stealerium registers a schtasks persistence entry that runs wscript //e:jscript against a script staged under ProgramData. Scheduled tasks explicitly selecting the JScript engine for wscript are an uncommon persistence and execution pattern.

Related detections9 linkedT1053.005 — drag to rearrange
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 CacheTask Reconfigured to Run as SYSTEM
Malicious NodeSnake RAT Persistence via Scheduled Task and Node.js (via process_creation)
Suspicious Scheduled Task Running WScript With JScript Engine
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.