Scheduled Task/Job

Adversaries may abuse task scheduling functionality to facilitate initial or recurring execution of malicious code. Utilities exist within all major operating systems to schedule programs or scripts to be executed at a specified date and time. A task can also be scheduled on a remote system, provided the proper authentication is met (ex: RPC and file and printer sharing in Windows environments). Scheduling a task on a remote system typically may require being a member of an admin or otherwise privileged group on the remote system.[1]

Adversaries may use task scheduling to execute programs at system startup or on a scheduled basis for persistence. These mechanisms can also be abused to run a process under the context of a specified account (such as one with elevated permissions/privileges). Similar to System Binary Proxy Execution, adversaries have also abused task scheduling to potentially mask one-time execution under a trusted system process.[2]

ID: T1053
Platforms: Containers, Linux, Windows, macOS
Permissions Required: Administrator, SYSTEM, User
Effective Permissions: Administrator, SYSTEM, User
Supports Remote:  Yes
CAPEC ID: CAPEC-557
Contributors: Alain Homewood, Insomnia Security; Andrew Northern, @ex_raritas; Bryan Campbell, @bry_campbell; Leo Loobeek, @leoloobeek; Prashant Verma, Paladion; Selena Larson, @selenalarson; Travis Smith, Tripwire; Zachary Abzug, @ZackDoesML
Version: 2.2
Created: 31 May 2017
Last Modified: 14 April 2022

Procedure Examples

ID Name Description
S0447 Lokibot

Lokibot's second stage DLL has set a timer using "timeSetEvent" to schedule its next execution.[3]

S0125 Remsec

Remsec schedules the execution one of its modules by creating a new scheduler task.[4]

Mitigations

ID Mitigation Description
M1047 Audit

Toolkits like the PowerSploit framework contain PowerUp modules that can be used to explore systems for permission weaknesses in scheduled tasks that could be used to escalate privileges. [5]

M1028 Operating System Configuration

Configure settings for scheduled tasks to force tasks to run under the context of the authenticated account instead of allowing them to run as SYSTEM. The associated Registry key is located at HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Lsa\SubmitControl. The setting can be configured through GPO: Computer Configuration > [Policies] > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > Security Options: Domain Controller: Allow server operators to schedule tasks, set to disabled. [6]

M1026 Privileged Account Management

Configure the Increase Scheduling Priority option to only allow the Administrators group the rights to schedule a priority process. This can be can be configured through GPO: Computer Configuration > [Policies] > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > User Rights Assignment: Increase scheduling priority. [7]

M1018 User Account Management

Limit privileges of user accounts and remediate Privilege Escalation vectors so only authorized administrators can create scheduled tasks on remote systems.

Detection

ID Data Source Data Component
DS0017 Command Command Execution
DS0032 Container Container Creation
DS0022 File File Creation
File Modification
DS0009 Process Process Creation
DS0003 Scheduled Job Scheduled Job Creation

Monitor scheduled task creation from common utilities using command-line invocation. Legitimate scheduled tasks may be created during installation of new software or through system administration functions. Look for changes to tasks that do not correlate with known software, patch cycles, etc.

Suspicious program execution through scheduled tasks may show up as outlier processes that have not been seen before when compared against historical data. Data and events should not be viewed in isolation, but as part of a chain of behavior that could lead to other activities, such as network connections made for Command and Control, learning details about the environment through Discovery, and Lateral Movement.

References