Introduction To Volatility
Introduction to Volatility
Volatility is a powerful tool for analyzing memory dump files from a system’s running RAM. Since RAM doesn’t organize data into structured files, tools like Volatility can be used to parse and analyze this raw information effectively.
Installation on Ubuntu
Follow these steps to install Volatility 3 on Ubuntu:
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cd ~/
sudo apt install python3 python3-pip git -y
git clone --branch stable https://github.com/volatilityfoundation/volatility3
cd ~/volatility3
sudo apt install python3-venv -y
python3 -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate
pip install -r requirements.txt
Using Volatility
Activating the Virtual Environment
If you lose the Python virtual environment session, reactivate it with:
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cd ~/volatility3
source venv/bin/activate
Calculate Hash of the Memory File
Generate the SHA-256 hash of your memory dump file:
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sha256sum ~/Desktop/memdump/win10.vmem
Information Gathering
Run the windows.info command to gather general system information from the memory dump:
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python3 vol.py -f ~/Desktop/memdump/win10.vmem windows.info
-f: Specifies the memory dump file location.-o: (Optional) Specifies the output file destination.- Command Variants:
windows.info: Gathers Windows-specific information.mac.info: Gathers macOS-specific information.linux.info: Gathers Linux-specific information.
Network Memory Analysis
Netstat Information
Retrieve network information similar to the netstat command on a live system:
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python3 vol.py -f ~/Desktop/memdump/win10.vmem windows.netstat
- Look for:
- Suspicious services and associated IP addresses.
- WHOIS information for IPs.
- Suspicious port numbers.
- Process IDs (PIDs) linked to services.
Raw Network Objects
Use netscan to find raw network objects in memory, potentially revealing additional connections:
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python3 vol.py -f ~/Desktop/memdump/win10.vmem windows.netscan
Process Memory Analysis
List Processes (pslist)
Retrieve a list of running processes:
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python3 vol.py -f ~/Desktop/memdump/win10.vmem windows.pslist
Optional Flags:
--physical: Show physical memory locations.--pid <PID>: Filter by process ID.--dump: Dumps process memory to the current folder.
Use grep to refine the output:
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| grep <PID>
Scan for Processes (psscan)
psscan may reveal hidden or terminated processes but takes longer to run:
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python3 vol.py -f ~/Desktop/memdump/win10.vmem windows.psscan
Process Tree (pstree)
Build a process tree to visualize relationships between processes:
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python3 vol.py -f ~/Desktop/memdump/win10.vmem windows.pstree
Command Line Arguments
Display command line arguments used by processes:
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python3 vol.py -f ~/Desktop/memdump/win10.vmem windows.cmdline
Registry Memory Analysis
User Assist Registry
Analyze what programs were executed, when, and by whom:
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python3 vol.py -f ~/Desktop/memdump/win10.vmem windows.registry.userassist | less
Hive List
List all registry hives available in memory:
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python3 vol.py -f ~/Desktop/memdump/win10.vmem windows.registry.hivelist
Optional Flags:
--filter: Search for specific hives (e.g., user-related hives).--dump: Export a registry hive for analysis in Registry Explorer.
Query Specific Registry Keys
Query specific keys from the registry:
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python3 vol.py -f ~/Desktop/memdump/win10.vmem windows.registry.printkey --key "Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run"
This command helps identify programs set to run at startup.