huntrule

Windows: Suspicious Scheduled Task Modification via schtasks /Change /TN

Flags schtasks.exe executions that modify existing scheduled tasks (/Change /TN) using suspicious locations and command-line payload tooling.

FreeReviewedSigma · High · v1
Product
windows
Category
process_creation
Author
Nasreddine Bencherchali (Nextron Systems) (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published
2022-07-28
Updated
2026-07-30
AnalysisDetection

ATT&CK techniques

Execution → Priv Esc

  1. Recon

  2. Resource Dev

  3. Initial Access

  4. Execution

  5. Persistence

  6. Priv Esc

  7. Defense Evasion

  8. Cred Access

  9. Discovery

  10. Lateral Movement

  11. Collection

  12. C2

  13. Exfiltration

  14. Impact

What it detects

This rule identifies process executions of schtasks.exe where the command line includes both the scheduled task modification switch (/Change) and a task name (/TN). It further requires that the command line references common attacker-preferred or nonstandard locations and/or that it contains scripting or living-off-the-land binaries (for example cmd, powershell, mshta, wscript, certutil, wmic) commonly used to embed payloads into the task. The detection relies on Windows process creation telemetry, using command-line contents to flag attempts to alter existing persistence mechanisms after task creation.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1053.005 — drag to rearrange
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Malicious NodeSnake RAT Persistence via Scheduled Task and Node.js (via process_creation)
Malicious Scheduled Task Masquerading as Windows Defender Sync via schtasks (via process_creation)
Windows: Suspicious Scheduled Task Modification via schtasks /Change /TN
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.