Windows Process Discovery via tasklist Command Execution

Alerts on Windows executions of tasklist.exe used for running process discovery.

FreeReviewedSigma · Informational · v5

Product: windows
Category: process_creation
Author: frack113 (SigmaHQ), DRL 1.1
Published: 2021-12-11
Updated: 2026-07-31

ATT&CK techniques

Discovery

Recon
Resource Dev
Initial Access
Execution
Persistence
Priv Esc
Defense Evasion
Cred Access
Discovery
- T1057Process Discovery
Lateral Movement
Collection
C2
Exfiltration
Impact

What it detects

This rule flags process creation events where the command line includes "tasklist" or where the executed binary is identified as tasklist.exe. Adversaries can use tasklist output to understand what software and processes are running on a host, which may support later targeting and discovery steps. The detection relies on Windows process creation telemetry, matching on Image, OriginalFileName, and CommandLine content.

Reporting behind it

Related detections9 linkedT1057 — drag to rearrange

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Suspicious Virtual Machine Detection via WMI Win32_Process Query (via process_creation)

Antivirus Software Discovery via tasklist and findstr

Windows Process Discovery via tasklist Command Execution

Pivot detection · T1057 · 9 related

Changelog

v5
Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
v4
Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
v3
Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
v2
Candidate ingested via manual entry.2026-07-31
v1
No changelog recorded for this version.2026-07-30

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

windows-suspicious-tasklist-exe-process-discovery-via-command-line-63332011

title: Windows Process Discovery via tasklist Command Execution
id: 1afdbf46-1f9e-43e6-9b32-6c2bf2b42ccb
status: test
description: This rule flags process creation events where the command line includes "tasklist" or where the executed binary is identified as tasklist.exe. Adversaries can use tasklist output to understand what software and processes are running on a host, which may support later targeting and discovery steps. The detection relies on Windows process creation telemetry, matching on Image, OriginalFileName, and CommandLine content.
references:
  - https://github.com/redcanaryco/atomic-red-team/blob/f339e7da7d05f6057fdfcdd3742bfcf365fee2a9/atomics/T1057/T1057.md#atomic-test-2---process-discovery---tasklist
  - https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma/blob/master/rules-threat-hunting/windows/process_creation/proc_creation_win_tasklist_basic_execution.yml
author: frack113, Huntrule Team
date: 2021-12-11
modified: 2022-12-25
tags:
  - attack.discovery
  - attack.t1057
  - detection.threat-hunting
logsource:
  category: process_creation
  product: windows
detection:
  selection:
    - CommandLine|contains: tasklist
    - Image|endswith: \tasklist.exe
    - OriginalFileName: tasklist.exe
  condition: selection
falsepositives:
  - Likely from users, administrator and different internal and third party applications.
level: informational
license: DRL-1.1
related:
  - id: 63332011-f057-496c-ad8d-d2b6afb27f96
    type: derived

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