Windows schtasks Scheduled Task Create/Modify Running as SYSTEM
Alerts on Windows schtasks task create/modify commands that set the run account to NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM.
- Product
- windows
- Category
- process_creation
- Author
- Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
- Published
- 2022-07-28
- Updated
- 2026-07-30
ATT&CK techniques
Execution → Priv EscRecon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact
What it detects
This rule flags process executions of schtasks.exe that create or modify scheduled tasks configured to run under NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM. Attackers commonly use scheduled tasks for privilege escalation, persistence, and execution as highly privileged accounts. Detection relies on Windows process creation telemetry, specifically the schtasks.exe command line parameters indicating /create or /change and the /ru value set to SYSTEM.
Reporting behind it
- elastic.cohttps://www.elastic.co/security-labs/exploring-the-qbot-attack-pattern
- learn.microsoft.comhttps://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/schtasks
- github.comhttps://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_schtasks_system.yml
Detection content is published as a reviewed draft. Tune thresholds and exclusions against your own telemetry before enabling this rule for alerting.
title: Windows schtasks Scheduled Task Create/Modify Running as SYSTEM
id: f97e4491-ab57-4aad-ba90-5a6cec736ec0
status: test
description: This rule flags process executions of schtasks.exe that create or modify scheduled tasks configured to run under NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM. Attackers commonly use scheduled tasks for privilege escalation, persistence, and execution as highly privileged accounts. Detection relies on Windows process creation telemetry, specifically the schtasks.exe command line parameters indicating /create or /change and the /ru value set to SYSTEM.
references:
- https://www.elastic.co/security-labs/exploring-the-qbot-attack-pattern
- https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-server/administration/windows-commands/schtasks
- https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_schtasks_system.yml
author: Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems), Huntrule Team
date: 2022-07-28
modified: 2025-02-15
tags:
- attack.privilege-escalation
- attack.execution
- attack.persistence
- attack.t1053.005
logsource:
product: windows
category: process_creation
detection:
selection_root:
Image|endswith: \schtasks.exe
CommandLine|contains:
- " /change "
- " /create "
selection_run:
CommandLine|contains: "/ru "
selection_user:
CommandLine|contains:
- NT AUT
- " SYSTEM "
filter_optional_teamviewer:
Image|endswith: \schtasks.exe
CommandLine|contains|all:
- /TN TVInstallRestore
- \TeamViewer_.exe
filter_optional_office:
CommandLine|contains|all:
- Subscription Heartbeat
- \HeartbeatConfig.xml
- \Microsoft Shared\OFFICE
filter_optional_avira:
CommandLine|contains:
- "/Create /F /RU System /SC WEEKLY /TN AviraSystemSpeedupVerify /TR "
- :\Program Files (x86)\Avira\System Speedup\setup\avira_speedup_setup.exe
- /VERIFY /VERYSILENT /NOSTART /NODOTNET /NORESTART" /RL HIGHEST
condition: all of selection_* and not 1 of filter_optional_*
falsepositives:
- Unknown
level: high
license: DRL-1.1
related:
- id: 89ca78fd-b37c-4310-b3d3-81a023f83936
type: derived