[metadata] creation_date = "2020/12/15" integration = ["endpoint", "windows"] maturity = "production" updated_date = "2024/05/21" [rule] author = ["Elastic"] description = """ Identifies the PowerShell process loading the Task Scheduler COM DLL followed by an outbound RPC network connection within a short time period. This may indicate lateral movement or remote discovery via scheduled tasks. """ false_positives = ["Legitimate scheduled tasks may be created during installation of new software."] from = "now-9m" index = [ "winlogbeat-*", "logs-endpoint.events.library-*", "logs-endpoint.events.network-*", "logs-windows.sysmon_operational-*", ] language = "eql" license = "Elastic License v2" name = "Outbound Scheduled Task Activity via PowerShell" references = [ "https://www.volexity.com/blog/2020/12/14/dark-halo-leverages-solarwinds-compromise-to-breach-organizations/", ] risk_score = 47 rule_id = "5cd55388-a19c-47c7-8ec4-f41656c2fded" severity = "medium" tags = [ "Domain: Endpoint", "OS: Windows", "Use Case: Threat Detection", "Tactic: Execution", "Data Source: Elastic Defend", "Data Source: Sysmon", ] type = "eql" query = ''' sequence by host.id, process.entity_id with maxspan = 5s [any where host.os.type == "windows" and (event.category == "library" or (event.category == "process" and event.action : "Image loaded*")) and (?dll.name : "taskschd.dll" or file.name : "taskschd.dll") and process.name : ("powershell.exe", "pwsh.exe", "powershell_ise.exe")] [network where host.os.type == "windows" and process.name : ("powershell.exe", "pwsh.exe", "powershell_ise.exe") and destination.port == 135 and not destination.address in ("127.0.0.1", "::1")] ''' [[rule.threat]] framework = "MITRE ATT&CK" [[rule.threat.technique]] id = "T1053" name = "Scheduled Task/Job" reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1053/" [[rule.threat.technique.subtechnique]] id = "T1053.005" name = "Scheduled Task" reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1053/005/" [[rule.threat.technique]] id = "T1059" name = "Command and Scripting Interpreter" reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1059/" [[rule.threat.technique.subtechnique]] id = "T1059.001" name = "PowerShell" reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1059/001/" [rule.threat.tactic] id = "TA0002" name = "Execution" reference = "https://attack.mitre.org/tactics/TA0002/"