GCIH Practice Question: Detecting Evasive and Post-Exploitation Techniques
A SOC analyst notices that a scheduled task on a workstation was created shortly after a user opened a malicious email attachment. The task runs a PowerShell command that downloads a file from an external IP every hour. The task is configured to run under the SYSTEM account and has no associated user logon. Which post-exploitation technique does this represent?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is focusing on the PowerShell download and overlooking the scheduled task as the persistence mechanism that ensures recurring execution.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Persistence via scheduled task
Scheduled tasks are a favored persistence mechanism because they can run under SYSTEM, trigger on schedules or events, and survive reboots without user interaction. The scenario shows a task created after a phishing attachment, executing a recurring download, which matches this technique. Unquoted service path, LSASS credential dumping, and PsExec lateral movement involve different artifacts such as service creation or remote execution, none of which are described.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Credential dumping using LSASS memory access
Why it's wrong here
Credential dumping targets LSASS to extract password hashes or tickets, often using tools like Mimikatz. It does not involve creating scheduled tasks or periodic downloads. The observed behavior is a recurring task, not memory access to LSASS, so credential dumping is not the technique here.
- ✗
Privilege escalation via unquoted service path
Why it's wrong here
Unquoted service path exploitation involves placing a malicious executable in a directory whose path contains spaces, causing the service to execute it. The scenario describes a scheduled task, not a service with an unquoted path. No service creation or path manipulation is mentioned, so this technique does not apply.
- ✗
Lateral movement using PsExec
Why it's wrong here
PsExec copies a service binary to a remote host and starts a service to execute commands, generating service creation events and SMB traffic. The scenario describes a local scheduled task on a single workstation, not remote service execution. Thus PsExec lateral movement is not indicated.
- ✓
Persistence via scheduled task
Why this is correct
Creating a scheduled task that runs malicious code under SYSTEM and triggers periodically is a common persistence mechanism. It survives reboots and does not require an interactive logon. The timing after a phishing attachment and the recurring download behavior strongly indicate persistence via scheduled task.
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JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official GIAC exam blueprint
This GCIH practice question is part of Courseiva's free GIAC certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the GCIH exam.