Detection: Windows Scheduled Task Created Via XML

Description

The following analytic detects the creation of scheduled tasks in Windows using schtasks.exe with the "XML" parameter. This detection leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on command-line executions and process details. This activity is significant as it is a common technique for establishing persistence or achieving privilege escalation, often used by malware like Trickbot and Winter-Vivern. While creating a scheduled task via XML may be legitimate, it can also be abused by attackers. If confirmed malicious, this could allow attackers to maintain access, execute additional payloads, and potentially lead to data theft or ransomware deployment.

Search

 1
 2| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` 
 3  count min(_time) as firstTime
 4        max(_time) as lastTime
 5
 6from datamodel=Endpoint.Processes where 
 7
 8`process_schtasks`
 9Processes.process IN ("* /create *", "* -create *")
10Processes.process IN ("* /xml *", "* -xml *")
11
12by Processes.action Processes.dest Processes.original_file_name Processes.parent_process 
13   Processes.parent_process_exec Processes.parent_process_guid Processes.parent_process_id 
14   Processes.parent_process_name Processes.parent_process_path Processes.process Processes.process_exec 
15   Processes.process_guid Processes.process_hash Processes.process_id Processes.process_integrity_level 
16   Processes.process_name Processes.process_path Processes.user Processes.user_id Processes.vendor_product
17
18
19| `drop_dm_object_name(Processes)` 
20
21| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` 
22
23| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)`
24
25| `windows_scheduled_task_created_via_xml_filter`

Data Source

Name	Platform	Sourcetype	Source
CrowdStrike ProcessRollup2	N/A	'crowdstrike:events:sensor'	'crowdstrike'
Sysmon EventID 1	Windows	'XmlWinEventLog'	'XmlWinEventLog:Microsoft-Windows-Sysmon/Operational'
Windows Event Log Security 4688	Windows	'XmlWinEventLog'	'XmlWinEventLog:Security'

Macros Used

Annotations

Default Configuration

This detection is configured by default in Splunk Enterprise Security to run with the following settings:

Implementation

The detection is based on data that originates from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents. These agents are designed to provide security-related telemetry from the endpoints where the agent is installed. To implement this search, you must ingest logs that contain the process GUID, process name, and parent process. Additionally, you must ingest complete command-line executions. These logs must be processed using the appropriate Splunk Technology Add-ons that are specific to the EDR product. The logs must also be mapped to the Processes node of the Endpoint data model. Use the Splunk Common Information Model (CIM) to normalize the field names and speed up the data modeling process.

Known False Positives

Installers are known to create scheduled tasks via XML. Apply additional filters as needed.

Associated Analytic Story

• CISA AA23-347A

• Lokibot

• Malicious Inno Setup Loader

• MoonPeak

• Scheduled Tasks

• Winter Vivern

Risk Based Analytics (RBA)

Risk Message:

A scheduled task was created via $process$, based on an XML file by user $user$ on host $dest$

References

• https://twitter.com/_CERT_UA/status/1620781684257091584

• https://cert.gov.ua/article/3761104

Detection Testing

Replay any dataset to Splunk Enterprise by using our replay.py tool or the UI. Alternatively you can replay a dataset into a Splunk Attack Range

Source: GitHub | Version: 10