Acquiring Memory Image From Windows and Linux

Memory Acquisition in Incident Response

Memory acquisition is an essential component of digital forensics during incident response. It captures a system's volatile state, preserving critical artifacts such as active processes, network connections, and in-memory malware for subsequent analysis.

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Acquiring Memory Image from Windows Systems

1. Belkasoft Live RAM Capturer

• Features:

  • Captures full volatile memory with a minimal system footprint.

  • Effective against anti-debugging and anti-dumping mechanisms.

  • Compatible with major Windows versions (including older systems like XP).

• Usage:

  1. Download and run RamCapture64.exe as Administrator.

  2. Set the destination folder for the memory dump.

  3. Click Capture Memory.

  4. The output will be saved with a randomly generated filename for anonymity.

• Advantages:

  • Minimal system interference, preserving the state of volatile data.

  • Effective in bypassing advanced malware defenses.

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2. FTK Imager

• Features:

  • A versatile forensic tool capable of capturing memory and disk images.

  • User-friendly interface for acquiring and validating evidence.

• Usage:

  1. Launch FTK Imager as Administrator.

  2. Navigate to File > Capture Memory.

  3. Set the Destination Path and Filename.

  4. Optionally, check the box to include the system's pagefile.

  5. Click Capture Memory.

• Limitations:

  • Potential errors during acquisition on heavily loaded systems.

  • May lack robustness compared to specialized tools like Belkasoft.

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Acquiring Memory Image from Linux Systems

AVML (Accelerated Volatile Memory Locator)

• Features:

  • Lightweight, single-binary tool with no dependencies.

  • Supports major Linux distributions and works with various memory sources (e.g., /dev/crash, /proc/kcore).

• Usage:

  1. Download the AVML binary.

  2. Grant execution permissions:

     chmod +x avml

  3. Run AVML to acquire memory:

     ./avml Linux_Acquisition.raw

  4. Memory image is saved in the specified file.

• Advantages:

  • Easy to deploy in both local and remote environments.

  • Can save directly to network shares or mounted drives.

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Post-Acquisition Analysis

Windows Analysis Tools:

• FireEye Redline:

  • Combines memory and disk analysis to detect malware and suspicious activities.

  • Useful for identifying persistence mechanisms and network behaviors.

• Volatility:

  • Open-source framework for in-depth memory analysis.

  • Supports detection of malware, hidden processes, and injected code.

Linux Analysis Tools:

• Volatility (Linux Support):

  • Provides plugins for analyzing Linux-specific memory artifacts like tasks, network connections, and files in memory.

• Custom Scripts:

  • Analysts can develop or use existing Python scripts to parse Linux memory dumps for system-specific insights.

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Key Considerations

1. Data Integrity:

   • Hash acquired memory images using MD5 or SHA-256.

   • Example:

     md5sum memory_dump.raw

2. Minimal System Footprint:

   • Execute tools from external media (USB drives) or remote shares to avoid altering the system's state.

3. Storage Requirements:

   • Memory dumps can be large (gigabytes in size). Ensure sufficient storage space is available.

4. Documentation:

   • Maintain detailed notes on acquisition steps, including timestamps, tools used, and hash values.

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Key Points

Memory acquisition is a crucial step in preserving volatile evidence during incident response. Tools like Belkasoft Live RAM Capturer, FTK Imager, and AVML provide reliable methods for capturing memory on Windows and Linux systems. Proper handling and minimal system interaction are essential to maintain the integrity of the evidence for forensic analysis.