Category:Forensics File Formats - Revision history

Joachim Metz: /* Independent File Formats */

2012-07-21T11:20:58Z

‎Independent File Formats

Joachim Metz: /* SMART's Formats */

2012-07-21T11:16:51Z

‎SMART's Formats

Joachim Metz: /* Encase image file format */

2010-11-09T12:16:12Z

‎Encase image file format

Simsong: /* Independent File Formats */

2009-04-21T01:24:38Z

‎Independent File Formats

Simsong: /* Independent File Formats */

2009-04-21T01:24:23Z

‎Independent File Formats

Simsong: /* Program-Specific File Formats */

2009-04-21T01:24:01Z

‎Program-Specific File Formats

Simsong: /* Program-Specific File Formats */

2009-04-21T01:22:23Z

‎Program-Specific File Formats

Simsong at 01:21, 21 April 2009

2009-04-21T01:21:04Z

Simsong: /* Program-Specific File Formats */

2009-04-21T01:20:34Z

‎Program-Specific File Formats

Simsong at 01:20, 21 April 2009

2009-04-21T01:20:08Z

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 ==Independent File Formats==
 These file formats were developed independently of any specific forensics package.
 === [[AFF]]===
 Full details of the format and a working implementation can be downloaded from http://www.afflib.org/
-=== [[AFF4]]===
+=== [[AFF4]] ===
 AFF4 is a complete redesign of the AFF format. AFF4 is geared towards very large corpuses of images. It features a choice of binary container formats such as Zip, Zip64 and simple directories. Storage can be done using regular HTTP, as well as imaging directly to a central HTTP server using webdav. The format includes support for maps - which are zero copy transformations of data - for example, instead of storing a whole new copy of a carved file we just store a map of the blocks allocated to this file. This makes it trivial to chop up an image in many different ways with no storage overheads (for example chop up a memory image into the different process address spaces, extract TCP streams from a PCAP file with no copying overheads or extract all files from a filesystem with no copying). AFF4 also supports cryptography and image signing. AFF4 support fuse to present the images transparently to clients.
-=== [[gfzip]] (generic forensic zip) file format===
+=== [[gfzip]] (generic forensic zip) file format ===
 Gfzip aims to provide an open file format for 'forensic complete' 'compressed' and 'signed' disk image data files.
 Uncompressed disk images can be used the same way [[dd]] images are, as gfzip uses a data first footer last design.
@@ Line 15: / Line 16: @@
 User supplied meta data is embedded in a meta data section within the file.
 A very important feature that gfzip focuses on extensively is the use of signed data and meta data sections using x509 certificates.
 ==Program-Specific File Formats==

@@ Line 94: / Line 94: @@
 original authors of Expert Witness (now sold under the name of
 EnCase), can store disk images as pure bitstreams
-(compressed or uncompressed) and also in ASR Data's [[Expert Witness]]
+(compressed or uncompressed) and also in [[:File:ASR Data's Expert Witness Compression Format.pdf|ASR Data's Expert Witness Compression Format]].  Images stored in the latter format
 Compression Format.  Images stored in the latter format
 can be stored as a single file or in multiple segment files, each of
 which consist of a standard 13-byte header followed by a series of

@@ Line 26: / Line 26: @@
 (.E01) format contains a physical bitstream
 of an acquired disk, prefixed with a "Case Info" header,
-interlaced with CRCs for every block of 64 sectors (32 KB), and
+interlaced with checksums (Adler-32) for every block of 64 sectors (32 KB), and
 followed by a footer containing an [[MD5]] hash for the entire
 bitstream.  Contained in the header are the date and time of
 acquisition, an examiner's name, notes on the acquisition, and an
-optional password; the header concludes with its own CRC.
+optional password; the header concludes with its own checksum.
 Not only is the format is compressible, it is also searchable.

@@ Line 8: / Line 8: @@
 === [[AFF4]]===
 AFF4 is a complete redesign of the AFF format. AFF4 is geared towards very large corpuses of images. It features a choice of binary container formats such as Zip, Zip64 and simple directories. Storage can be done using regular HTTP, as well as imaging directly to a central HTTP server using webdav. The format includes support for maps - which are zero copy transformations of data - for example, instead of storing a whole new copy of a carved file we just store a map of the blocks allocated to this file. This makes it trivial to chop up an image in many different ways with no storage overheads (for example chop up a memory image into the different process address spaces, extract TCP streams from a PCAP file with no copying overheads or extract all files from a filesystem with no copying). AFF4 also supports cryptography and image signing. AFF4 support fuse to present the images transparently to clients.
 === [[gfzip]] (generic forensic zip) file format===
 Gfzip aims to provide an open file format for 'forensic complete' 'compressed' and 'signed' disk image data files.
 Uncompressed disk images can be used the same way [[dd]] images are, as gfzip uses a data first footer last design.

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 ==Independent File Formats==
 These file formats were developed independently of any specific forensics package.
-; [[AFF]]
+=== [[AFF]]===
 Full details of the format and a working implementation can be downloaded from http://www.afflib.org/
-; [[AFF4]]
+=== [[AFF4]]===
 AFF4 is a complete redesign of the AFF format. AFF4 is geared towards very large corpuses of images. It features a choice of binary container formats such as Zip, Zip64 and simple directories. Storage can be done using regular HTTP, as well as imaging directly to a central HTTP server using webdav. The format includes support for maps - which are zero copy transformations of data - for example, instead of storing a whole new copy of a carved file we just store a map of the blocks allocated to this file. This makes it trivial to chop up an image in many different ways with no storage overheads (for example chop up a memory image into the different process address spaces, extract TCP streams from a PCAP file with no copying overheads or extract all files from a filesystem with no copying). AFF4 also supports cryptography and image signing. AFF4 support fuse to present the images transparently to clients.
-; [[gfzip]] (generic forensic zip) file format
+=== [[gfzip]] (generic forensic zip) file format===
 Gfzip aims to provide an open file format for 'forensic complete' 'compressed' and 'signed' disk image data files.
@@ Line 17: / Line 17: @@
 User supplied meta data is embedded in a meta data section within the file.
 A very important feature that gfzip focuses on extensively is the use of signed data and meta data sections using x509 certificates.
 ==Program-Specific File Formats==

@@ Line 79: / Line 79: @@
 === [[PyFlag]]'s [[sgzip]] Format===
-Supported by [[PyFlag]], a "Forensic and Log
+Supported by [[PyFlag]], a "Forensic and Log Analysis GUI" begun as a project in the Australian Department of Defence, sgzip is a seekable variant of the gzip format.  By compressing blocks (of 32KB, by default) individually, sgzip allows disk images to be searched for keywords without being fully decompressed.  The format does not associate metadata with images. In addition to its own sgzip format, PyFlag can also read and write the Expert Witness Compression Format and AFF.
 Analysis GUI" begun as a project in the Australian Department of
 Defence, sgzip is a seekable variant of the gzip format.  By
 compressing blocks (of 32KB, by default) individually, sgzip allows
 disk images to be searched for keywords without being fully
 decompressed.  The format does not associate metadata with images. In addition to its own sgzip format, PyFlag can also read and write the Expert Witness Compression Format and AFF.
 === [[Rapid Action Imaging Device]] (RAID)'s Format===
-Though relatively little technical detail is publicly available, DIBS USA's
+Though relatively little technical detail is publicly available, DIBS USA's Rapid Action Imaging Device (RAID) offers "built in [sic] integrity checking" and is to be designed to create an identical copy in raw format of one disk on another.  The copy can then "be inserted into a forensic workstation".
 Rapid Action Imaging Device (RAID) offers "built in
 [sic] integrity checking" and is to be designed to
 create an identical copy in raw format of one disk on another.  The copy can then
 "be inserted into a forensic workstation".
 === [[Safeback]]'s Format===
-SafeBack, a DOS-based utility designed to create
+SafeBack, a DOS-based utility designed to create exact copies of entire disks or partitions, offers a "self-authenticating" format for images, whereby [[SHA256]] hashes are stored along with data to ensure the latter's integrity.  Although few technical details are disclosed publicly, SafeBack's authors claim that the software "safeguards the internally stored SHA256 values".
 exact copies of entire disks or partitions, offers a
 "self-authenticating" format for images, whereby [[SHA256]] hashes are
 stored along with data to ensure the latter's integrity.  Although
 few technical details are disclosed publicly, SafeBack's authors
 claim that the software "safeguards the internally stored SHA256
 values".
 === [[SDi32]]'s Format===
-Imaging software designed to be used with write-blocking hardware,
+Imaging software designed to be used with write-blocking hardware, Vogon International's SDi32 is capable of making identical copies of disks to tape, disk, or file, with optional CRC32 and [[MD5]] fingerprints.  The copies are stored in raw format.
 Vogon International's SDi32 is capable of making identical copies
 of disks to tape, disk, or file, with optional CRC32 and [[MD5]]
 fingerprints.  The copies are stored in raw format.
-−
 === [[SMART]]'s Formats===
@@ Line 127: / Line 108: @@
 format's "header" section supports free-form notes, an image can
 have only one such section (in its first segment file only).

@@ Line 23: / Line 23: @@
 These file formats were developed for use with a specific forensics program. Sometimes they can be used with other programs whose authors have specifically reverse-engineered the software. Other times they cannot.
-; [[Encase image file format]]
+===[[Encase image file format]]===
 Perhaps the de facto standard for forensic analyses in law
 enforcement, Guidance Software's [[EnCase]] Forensic uses
@@ Line 48: / Line 48: @@
 Though some have reverse-engineered the format for compatibility's sake, Guidances extensions to the format remains closed.
-; [[ILook Investigator]]'s IDIF, IRBF, and IEIF Formats
+===[[ILook Investigator]]'s IDIF, IRBF, and IEIF Formats===
 ILook Investigator v8 and its disk-imaging
@@ Line 65: / Line 65: @@
 formats into raw format.
-; [[ProDiscover]] Family's [[ProDiscover image file format]]
+===[[ProDiscover]] Family's [[ProDiscover image file format]]===
 Used by [[Technology Pathways]] [[ProDiscover]] Family of security tools, the ProDiscover Image File format consists of five parts: a 16-byte Image File Header, which includes a signature and version number for an
@@ Line 77: / Line 77: @@
 Though fairly well documented, the format is not extensible.
-; [[PyFlag]]'s [[sgzip]] Format
+=== [[PyFlag]]'s [[sgzip]] Format===
 Supported by [[PyFlag]], a "Forensic and Log
@@ Line 86: / Line 86: @@
 decompressed.  The format does not associate metadata with images. In addition to its own sgzip format, PyFlag can also read and write the Expert Witness Compression Format and AFF.
-; [[Rapid Action Imaging Device]] (RAID)'s Format
+=== [[Rapid Action Imaging Device]] (RAID)'s Format===
 Though relatively little technical detail is publicly available, DIBS USA's
@@ Line 94: / Line 94: @@
 "be inserted into a forensic workstation".
-; [[Safeback]]'s Format
+=== [[Safeback]]'s Format===
 SafeBack, a DOS-based utility designed to create
@@ Line 104: / Line 104: @@
 values".
-; [[SDi32]]'s Format
+=== [[SDi32]]'s Format===
 Imaging software designed to be used with write-blocking hardware,
@@ Line 112: / Line 112: @@
-; [[SMART]]'s Formats
+=== [[SMART]]'s Formats===
 [[SMART]], a software utility for Linux designed by the