7.0 KiB
Windows Registry
Regedit Keys
- HKEY_CURRENT_USER (HKCU), inside HKU
- HKEY_USERS (HKU)
- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE (HKLM)
- HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT (HKCR), stored in HKLM and HKU
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes
for settings of interactive userHKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes
to change default settings
- HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG
Paths
-
C:\Windows\System32\Config
- Default ->
HKEY_USERS\DEFAULT
- SAM ->
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SAM
- SECURITY ->
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Security
- SOFTWARE ->
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software
- SYSTEM ->
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System
- Default ->
-
C:\Users\<username>\
- NTUSER.DAT ->
HKEY_CURRENT_USER
, hidden file
- NTUSER.DAT ->
-
C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows
- USRCLASS.DAT ->
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Sofware\CLASSES
, hidden file
- USRCLASS.DAT ->
-
C:\Windows\AppCompat\Programs\Amcache.hve
Transaction Logs
- Transaction
<name of registry hive>.LOG
of the registry hive
Saved inside the same directory which is C:\Windows\System32\Config
, as the
hive which was altered.
Backups
- Saved every ten days
- Look out for recently deleted or modified keys
C:\Windows\System32\Config\RegBack
Data Acquisition
Multiple tools with their own strengths and weaknesses should be chosen to acquire the registry data, no matter if it is a live or a copied acquisition. Commonly used tools are the following ones.
- Autopsy
- FTK Imager, does not copy
Amcache.hve
whenObtain Protected Files
has been chosen, copy them manually as an export from the file tree of the chosen image
KAPE, preserves directory tree.
Following parts of EZTools should be taken note of.
- Registry Viewer
- Zimmerman's Registry Explorer, uses transaction logs as well
- AppCompatCache Parser
- RegRipper, cli and gui
System Information
- OS Version ->
SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion
- Computer Name ->
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\ComputerName\ComputerName
- Time Zone
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\TimeZoneInformation
- Network Interfaces ->
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters\Interfaces
- Past connected networks ->
SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\NetworkList\Signatures\Unmanaged
andSOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\NetworkList\Signatures\Managed
- Services ->
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services
- Service will start at boot with
start
key value0x02
- Service will start at boot with
- Users, SAM ->
SAM\Domains\Account\Users
Control Sets
-
ControlSet001
-> last boot -
ControlSet002
-> last known good -
HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet
-> live -
Can be found under:
SYSTEM\Select\Current
shows the used control setSYSTEM\Select\LastKnownGood
Autostart Programs
NTUSER.DAT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
NTUSER.DAT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\policies\Explorer\Run
SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Run program on login for the current user
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Run program on login for any user
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run
Run program on login once for the current user
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
Run program for on login once for any user
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
Recent Files
NTUSER.DAT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RecentDocs
, e.g. xml, pdf, jpg- Office files ->
NTUSER.DAT\Software\Microsoft\Office\VERSION
,NTUSER.DAT\Software\Microsoft\Office\15.0\Word
- Office 365 ->
NTUSER.DAT\Software\Microsoft\Office\VERSION\UserMRU\LiveID_####\FileMRU
ShellBags
USRCLASS.DAT\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags
USRCLASS.DAT\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\BagMRU
NTUSER.DAT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\BagMRU
NTUSER.DAT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\Bags
Last Open/Saved/Visited Dialog MRUs
NTUSER.DAT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ComDlg32\OpenSavePIDlMRU
NTUSER.DAT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ComDlg32\LastVisitedPidlMRU
Explorer Address/Search Bars
NTUSER.DAT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\TypedPaths
NTUSER.DAT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\WordWheelQuery
User Assist
- GUI applications launched by the user
NTUSER.DAT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Currentversion\Explorer\UserAssist\{GUID}\Count
Shim Cache
- Application Compatibility, AppCompatCache
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\AppCompatCache
- Use
AppCompatCacheParser.exe --csv <path to save output> -f <path to SYSTEM hive for data parsing> -c <control set to parse>
AmCache
- Information about recently run applications on the system
C:\Windows\appcompat\Programs\Amcache.hve
- Last executed app ->
Amcache.hve\Root\File\{Volume GUID}\
- Saves SHA1 of the last executed app
Background Activity Monitor/Desktop Activity Moderator BAM/DAM
- Saves full path of executed apps
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\bam\UserSettings\{SID}
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\dam\UserSettings\{SID}
Devices
- Identification
- USB ->
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USBTOR
,SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USB
- USB ->
- Device name ->
SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Portable Devices\Devices
- First time connected ->
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USBSTOR\Ven_Prod_Version\USBSerial#\Properties\{83da6326-97a6-4088-9453-a19231573b29}\0064
- Last time connected ->
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USBSTOR\Ven_Prod_Version\USBSerial#\Properties\{83da6326-97a6-4088-9453-a19231573b29}\0066
- Last removal time ->
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USBSTOR\Ven_Prod_Version\USBSerial#\Properties\{83da6326-97a6-4088-9453-a19231573b29}\0067
Tools
- Eric Zimmermann's Registry Explorer
- hivedump
- hivex
- AutoRuns to check autorun paths for persistence
Get-Command -Module AutoRuns
CommandType Name Version Source
----------- ---- ------- ------
Function Compare-AutoRunsBaseLine 14.0 Aut...
Function Get-PSAutorun 14.0 Aut...
Function New-AutoRunsBaseLine 14.0 Aut...
Clean a Dirty Hive
If a hive is loaded by a tool and the tool complains about a dirty hive, the transaction log of said hive has to be loaded as well. Extract it via FTK or KAPE alongside the hive itself.