KARIM ASHRAF SPACE.
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      • Incident Responder Path
        • Cybersecurity Incident Handling Guide
          • Introduction to Incident Handling
          • Incident Handling Steps
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          • Post-Incident Activity
        • Incident Response on Windows
          • How to Create Incident Response Plan?
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          • 3 Important Things
          • Free Tools That Can Be Used
          • Live Memory Analysis
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          • Users and Groups
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        • Hacked Web Server Analysis
          • Introduction to Hacked Web Server Analysis
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          • Attacks on Web Servers
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          • Vulnerabilities on Servers
          • Vulnerabilities in Programming Language
          • Discovering the Web Shell
          • Hacked Web Server Analysis Example
        • Log Analysis with Sysmon
          • Introduction and Set Up of Sysmon
          • Detecting Mimikatz with Sysmon
          • Detecting Pass The Hash with Sysmon
          • Detecting Privilege Escalation with Sysmon
        • Forensic Acquisition and Triage
          • Introduction to Forensics Acquisition and Triage
          • Acquiring Memory Image From Windows and Linux
          • Custom Image Using FTK and Mounting Image for Analysis
          • KAPE Targets for Acquisition
          • KAPE Modules for Triage and Analysis
          • Triage Using FireEye Redline
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          • Introduction to Windows Registry Forensics
          • Acquiring Registry Hives
          • Regedit and Registry Explorer
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          • Shellbags
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          • Dialogue Boxes MRU
        • Event Log Analysis
          • Introduction to Event Logs
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          • Introduction to Browser Forensics
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        • Hunting AD Attacks
          • Introduction to Active Directory
          • Hunting AS-REP Roasting Attack
          • Hunting for Kerberoasting Attacks
          • Hunting for LDAP Enumerations (Bloodhound_Sharphound)
          • Hunting for NTDS Database Dumping
          • Hunting for Golden Ticket Attacks
          • Hunting for NTLM Relay Attacks
        • Writing a Report on Security Incident
          • Introduction to Technical Writing
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        • How to Prepare a Cyber Crisis Management Pla
          • Introduction to Crisis Management
          • General Preparation
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        • Advanced Event Log Analysis
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          • Introduction to USB Forensics
          • USB Registry Key
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          • Folder Access Analysis via Shellbags
          • File Access Analysis via Jumplists
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          • SRUM Database
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    • BTLO LABS
      • Bruteforce BTLO
    • The Complete Active Directory Security Handbook
      • Introduction
      • Active Directory
      • Attack Technique 1: Pass the Hash: Use of Alternate Authentication Material (T1550)
      • Attack Technique 2: Pass the Ticket: Use of Alternate Authentication Material (T1550)
      • Attack Technique 3: Kerberoasting
      • Attack Technique 4: Golden Ticket Attack
      • Attack Technique 5: DCShadow Attack
      • Attack Technique 6: AS-REP Roasting
      • Attack Technique 7: LDAP Injection Attack
      • Attack Technique 8: PetitPotam NTLM Relay Attack on a Active Directory Certificate Services (AD CS)
      • Conclusion & References
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      • EoP - Abusing Shadow Copies
      • EoP - From local administrator to NT SYSTEM
      • EoP - Living Off The Land Binaries and Scripts
      • EoP - Impersonation Privileges
      • EoP - Privileged File Write
      • References
      • Practical Labs
    • Advanced Log Analysis
      • Key Windows Event IDs for Cybersecurity Monitoring
      • Analyzing a Series of Failed Login Attempts from Multiple IP Addresses
      • Steps to Investigate Suspicious Outbound Network Traffic
      • Identifying and Responding to Lateral Movement within a Network
      • Distinguishing Between Legitimate and Malicious PowerShell Executions
      • Detecting and Analyzing a Potential Data Exfiltration Incident Using Log Data
      • Steps to Analyze PowerShell Logging (Event ID 4104) for Malicious Activity
      • How to Identify an Internal Pivot Attack Using Log Data
      • Indicators in Logs Suggesting a Privilege Escalation Attack
      • How to Detect Command and Control (C2) Communication Using Log Analysis
      • How to Analyze Logs to Detect a Brute-Force Attack on an RDP Service
      • How to Analyze Logs to Detect a Brute-Force Attack on an RDP Service
      • How to Detect the Use of Living-Off-the-Land Binaries (LOLBins) in Logs
      • How to Detect Malware Masquerading as a Legitimate Process Using Log Analysis
      • How to Detect and Analyze Lateral Movement Using Windows Event Logs
      • How to Detect Potential Ransomware Attacks in Their Early Stages Using Log Analysis
      • How to Detect and Analyze Privilege Escalation Using Windows Event Logs
      • How to Detect the Use of Mimikatz or Similar Tools in Log Data
      • How to Detect and Analyze DNS Tunneling Through Log Analysis
      • How to Detect a Pass-the-Hash (PtH) Attack Using Logs
      • How to Detect and Analyze an Attacker’s Use of a Remote Access Trojan (RAT) Using Log Data
      • How to Detect Lateral Movement Using Windows Event Logs
      • How to Detect and Investigate Data Exfiltration Using Logs
      • How to Identify and Analyze an Internal Phishing Campaign Using Email and System Logs
      • How to Detect and Analyze Ransomware Activity Using Logs
      • How to Detect Malicious PowerShell Activity Using Log Analysis
      • How to Detect and Respond to Brute-Force Attacks Using Log Data
      • How to Detect Privilege Escalation Attempts Using Windows Event Logs
      • How to Detect and Analyze Suspicious Domain Name Resolution Requests in DNS Logs
      • How to Detect and Respond to Unauthorized Access to Critical Files
      • How to Detect and Analyze Suspicious PowerShell Command Execution
      • How to Detect and Investigate Account Takeover (ATO) Attempts Using
      • How to Detect and Analyze the Use of Living Off the Land Binaries (LOLBins)
      • How to Detect and Investigate Lateral Movement
      • How to Detect and Investigate Data Exfiltration
      • How to Detect and Analyze Suspicious Activity Involving Service Accounts
      • How to Detect and Investigate Anomalous PowerShell Activity Related to Credential Dumping
      • How to Detect and Analyze the Execution of Unsigned or Malicious Executables
      • How to Detect and Investigate Abnormal Spikes in Network Traffic
    • Methods for Stealing Password in Browser
      • Important Tables and Columns
      • Important Queries
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      • Tools
        • HackBrowserData
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        • BrowserPass
        • WebBrowserPassView
        • Infornito
        • Hindsight
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        • BrowserStealer
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On this page
  • Acquiring Registry Hives Using FTK Imager
  • Why Use FTK Imager for Registry Acquisition?
  • Steps for Acquiring Registry Hives
  • 1. Launch FTK Imager as Administrator
  • 2. Add Evidence Item
  • 3. Locate Registry Hives
  • 4. Create a Custom Content Image
  • 5. Mount the Custom Image
  • Key Advantages
  1. WRITEUPS
  2. Lets Defend
  3. Incident Responder Path
  4. Registry Forensics

Acquiring Registry Hives

Acquiring Registry Hives Using FTK Imager

FTK Imager is a powerful tool for forensic acquisition, enabling investigators to extract critical files, including Windows Registry hives, from live systems. This lesson covered how to securely acquire these files for further analysis, even when they are system-protected.

Why Use FTK Imager for Registry Acquisition?

  • Bypasses System Restrictions: Windows protects registry hives, preventing direct copying from the file system. FTK Imager overcomes these restrictions.

  • Preserves Data Integrity: Ensures an exact bit-for-bit copy of files, verified through hashing.

  • Critical for Incident Response: Enables rapid acquisition of key forensic artifacts during live investigations.

Steps for Acquiring Registry Hives

1. Launch FTK Imager as Administrator

  • Administrative privileges are required to access protected system files.

2. Add Evidence Item

  • Navigate to File > Add Evidence Item.

  • Select Logical Drive to access live system files.

3. Locate Registry Hives

The following registry hives should be acquired for comprehensive forensic analysis:

Hive
Path
Purpose

SAM

C:\Windows\System32\Config\SAM

Local user accounts and password hashes.

SECURITY

C:\Windows\System32\Config\SECURITY

Security policies and access control.

SOFTWARE

C:\Windows\System32\Config\SOFTWARE

Installed software and configurations.

SYSTEM

C:\Windows\System32\Config\SYSTEM

System configurations and services.

NTUSER.DAT

%USERPROFILE%\NTUSER.DAT

User-specific preferences and settings.

UsrClass.dat

%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\UsrClass.dat

Application-specific user settings.

Include Transaction Logs:

  • Files with extensions .LOG, .LOG1, and .LOG2 for each hive contain uncommitted changes.

4. Create a Custom Content Image

  • Select the Relevant Files: Add the hives and their logs to the custom image.

  • Generate Image:

    • Define a destination folder.

    • Provide a descriptive image name.

    • FTK Imager calculates and displays hash values (MD5, SHA1) to verify the integrity of the image.

5. Mount the Custom Image

  • Go to File > Image Mounting and select the created .ad1 image.

  • Explore the Image: The mounted image appears as a virtual drive, allowing easy access to the acquired files in a familiar folder structure.

Key Advantages

  • Integrity Verification: Ensures the acquired data hasn’t been tampered with, essential for legal admissibility.

  • Non-Intrusive Process: Live acquisition doesn’t alter the original system data.

Next Steps

After acquisition, the following steps will be covered:

  • Analyzing Registry Hives using tools like Regedit and forensic-specific software like Registry Explorer and RegRipper.

  • Identifying Key Artifacts such as user activity, malware persistence, and system configurations.

This method allows analysts to collect crucial forensic data efficiently and securely, forming the foundation for detailed analysis.

PreviousIntroduction to Windows Registry ForensicsNextRegedit and Registry Explorer

Last updated 7 months ago