Scheduled Task Launches VBScript from Suspicious Directory

Taylor Parizo@axelarator

•updated Mar 10, 2026•5•2•127

This detection rule identifies a persistence mechanism observed in the Dead#Vax campaign. It detects the Windows Script Host (wscript.exe) being launched by the Task Scheduler engine (taskeng.exe or svchost.exe) to execute a VBScript from a suspicious, user-writable directory such as AppData or a specific ProgramData path like 'ProgramData\IntelDriver'. This behavior is indicative of malicious persistence.