Suspicious SYSTEM Scheduled Task Named test Created via schtasks

PremiumReviewedSigma · High · v1
Product
windows
Category
process_creation
Author
HuntRule
Published
2026-09-13
Updated
2026-09-13

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 named test that runs as the SYSTEM account, an execution and lateral-movement pattern used by Winnti in Operation CuckooBees. Attackers register this high-privilege task to run payloads under SYSTEM, often against remote hosts. The generic task name combined with a SYSTEM run-as context is a distinctive Winnti indicator.

Related detections9 linkedT1053.005 — drag to rearrange
Suspicious Scheduled Task Created by Windows Script Host
Malicious CloudZ RAT Persistence via schtasks Running regasm.exe
Suspicious Scheduled Task Creation for WSPrint Persistence by UAT-9244
Malicious Scheduled Task Masquerading as GoogleUpdate Launching SSH Reverse Shell
Malicious Scheduled Task Creation TaskSystem via Interlock Ransomware
Malicious Scheduled Task Masquerading as Edge Update Running From Temp (via process_creation)
Suspicious Scheduled Task Created From XML Definition (via process_creation)
Malicious Scheduled Task Masquerade for Zardoor Persistence (via process_creation)
Malicious BugSleep Scheduled Task Persistence with Sample Comment
Suspicious SYSTEM Scheduled Task Named test Created via schtasks
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.