LoFP LoFP / admin may disable problematic schedule task

Techniques

Sample rules

Disable Schedule Task

Description

The following analytic detects the execution of a command to disable an existing scheduled task using ‘schtasks.exe’ with the ‘/change’ and ‘/disable’ parameters. This detection leverages data from Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) agents, focusing on process names and command-line arguments. Disabling scheduled tasks is significant as it is a common tactic used by adversaries, including malware like IcedID, to disable security applications and evade detection. If confirmed malicious, this activity could allow attackers to persist undetected, disable critical security defenses, and further compromise the targeted host.

Detection logic


| tstats `security_content_summariesonly` count  min(_time) as firstTime max(_time) as lastTime from datamodel=Endpoint.Processes where Processes.process_name=schtasks.exe Processes.process=*/change*  Processes.process=*/disable* by Processes.user Processes.process_name Processes.process Processes.parent_process_name Processes.parent_process Processes.dest 
| `drop_dm_object_name(Processes)` 
| `security_content_ctime(firstTime)` 
| `security_content_ctime(lastTime)` 
| `disable_schedule_task_filter`