- Tactics
- Execution , Persistence , Privilege Escalation
- Platforms
- Containers, ESXi, Linux, macOS, Network Devices, Windows
- Reference
- attack.mitre.org/techniques/T1053
Description
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.(Citation: TechNet Task Scheduler Security)
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.(Citation: ProofPoint Serpent)
Sub-techniques
How GTK Cyber trains on this
GTK Cyber's Threat Hunting with Data Science course teaches you to build machine-learning detections for techniques like this across the MITRE ATT&CK framework, including the Execution, Persistence, Privilege Escalation tactic this technique falls under. Practitioner-led, focused on real detections, not memorizing technique IDs.
Related techniques
- T1037 — Boot or Logon Initialization Scripts
- T1047 — Windows Management Instrumentation
- T1055 — Process Injection
- T1059 — Command and Scripting Interpreter
- T1068 — Exploitation for Privilege Escalation
- T1072 — Software Deployment Tools
- T1078 — Valid Accounts
- T1098 — Account Manipulation
- T1106 — Native API
- T1112 — Modify Registry
- T1127 — Trusted Developer Utilities Proxy Execution
- T1129 — Shared Modules