Deciphering the Registry
Imagine the Windows registry as a vital database that holds the settings for various components and applications in your Microsoft Windows operating system (OS). If you’re a digital forensic examiner, this is where you uncover traces of potentially malicious activity.
UserAssist Unleashed: Your Secret Weapon in Forensics
In this registry, we find the HKEY_CURRENT_USER hive, a treasure trove of user-specific settings. Here’s where we unveil a valuable gem—UserAssist. It diligently keeps tabs on the applications you’ve installed and run, making it an invaluable asset for collecting evidence.
Extracting UserAssist Information
When it’s time to extract UserAssist data, you don’t need to be an expert. Simply go to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER data stored in NTUSER.DAT at C:\Users%useraccount%. This file is constantly updated, but don’t worry; you can make copies easily with open-source forensic tools.
Analyzing UserAssist Artifacts
Now, let’s dive into analyzing UserAssist artifacts. The data is stored in a binary format with ROT13 encoding, but that’s not a problem. Open-source forensic tools have your back, making it easy to decode and reveal crucial information:
- Discover the names and paths of the applications you’ve run.
- Know when you last executed them.
- Keep tabs on how often you’ve used them.
- Get the full context, including key paths, focus counters, and timestamps.
In the ‘Application’ field, you might see paths in two different ways:
- the actual execution path and
- a GUID/path combo, which matches up with Microsoft’s ‘Known Folder GUIDs for File Dialog Custom Places.’
UserAssist: Your Superpower for Digital Discoveries
UserAssist is your trusty guide to uncovering your application history and user activities. With open-source forensic tools, the process is a breeze. They simplify the journey, letting you access and decode UserAssist data, making digital investigations a walk in the park.
