Registry Hive Analyzer

Module Overview

The Windows Registry Hive Analyzer module provides comprehensive analysis of Windows Registry hive files, extracting forensic artifacts, configuration data, and security-relevant information. The Registry serves as a central repository for system configuration, user activity, and application behavior, making it invaluable for digital forensics and incident response.

This module automatically parses Registry hives, identifies key forensic artifacts, extracts timeline data, and correlates findings across multiple hive files. It focuses on security-relevant Registry keys, persistence mechanisms, user activity artifacts, and system configuration changes that indicate compromise or suspicious activity.

Whether you're investigating malware persistence, user activity, system configuration changes, or conducting comprehensive forensic analysis, this module accelerates your investigation by automatically identifying the most relevant Registry artifacts and presenting them in an analysis-ready format.

Use Cases

Malware & Persistence Analysis

• Run Key Analysis: Automatic detection of persistence mechanisms in Run, RunOnce, and related keys
• Service Persistence: Identification of malicious services and their configurations
• Startup Program Analysis: Detection of unauthorized startup programs and persistence methods
• BAM/DAM Analysis: Background Activity Monitor and Desktop Activity Monitor artifact extraction

User Activity Reconstruction

• Recently Used Files: MRU (Most Recently Used) lists from various applications
• Shellbags Analysis: Folder access patterns and directory navigation history
• UserAssist Analysis: Program execution frequency and last execution times
• Jump Lists: Recent document and application usage patterns

System Configuration & Timeline

• Installation Timeline: Software installation and removal timestamps
• USB Device History: Connected device analysis and usage patterns
• Network Configuration: Network adapter settings, wireless profiles, and connection history
• System Changes: Configuration modifications and security policy changes

Application Artifacts

• Browser Artifacts: Stored credentials, history, and configuration data
• Office Applications: Recent documents, templates, and user preferences
• Communication Tools: Skype, Teams, and other communication application artifacts
• Security Software: Antivirus exclusions, firewall rules, and security tool configurations

Analysis Features

Persistence Mechanisms

• Run Keys: HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run and variants
• Services: Service installation and configuration analysis
• Scheduled Tasks: Task creation and configuration artifacts
• WinLogon: Logon script and shell replacement analysis
• Image Hijacking: Application hijacking and DLL replacement detection

User Activity Analysis

• Shellbags: Folder access and navigation patterns
• UserAssist: Program execution statistics and timestamps
• MRU Lists: Recently used files across multiple applications
• Jump Lists: Application and document access patterns
• Typed URLs: Browser address bar history

System & Application Artifacts

• Amcache: Application execution and file metadata
• Shimcache: Application compatibility cache analysis
• BAM/DAM: Background and Desktop Activity Monitor data
• USB Devices: Device connection history and usage patterns
• Network Profiles: Wireless network and connection history

Security & Configuration

• User Accounts: Local user account analysis and group memberships
• Security Policies: Password policies, audit settings, and security configurations
• Firewall Rules: Windows Firewall configuration and exceptions
• Installed Software: Software inventory and installation timestamps

Timeline Reconstruction

• Registry Modification Timeline: Key creation and modification timestamps
• Cross-Hive Correlation: Timeline correlation across multiple Registry hives
• Activity Patterns: Temporal analysis of user and system activity

Supported Registry Hives

System Hives

• SYSTEM: System configuration, services, and hardware information
• SOFTWARE: Installed software, application configuration, and system-wide settings
• SECURITY: Security policies, cached credentials, and audit configuration
• SAM: User account information and authentication data
• AmCache: Program execution evidence

User Hives

• NTUSER.DAT: User-specific settings, preferences, and activity artifacts
• UsrClass.dat: User application associations and COM object registrations

Other Hives

• COMPONENTS: Windows component store and update information
• BCD: Boot configuration data and startup options

Usage Guidelines

File Upload and Processing

• Supported Formats: Registry hive files (.dat, .hiv, .reg) and compressed archives (.zip)
• File Size Limits: Individual hives up to 500MB, batch processing up to 50 hives simultaneously
• Multi-Hive Analysis: Correlate findings across multiple Registry hives for comprehensive analysis

Analysis Configuration

• Time Range Filtering: Focus on specific time periods for targeted investigation
• Artifact Category Selection: Choose specific artifact types for focused analysis
• Cross-Hive Correlation: Enable correlation across multiple hive files

Data Processing Best Practices

• Hive Source Identification: Clearly identify the source system and collection method
• Time Zone Handling: All timestamps normalized to UTC for consistency
• Backup Considerations: Analyze both current and backup Registry hives when available

Token Pricing Breakdown

Standard Analysis

• Registry Analysis: 10 tokens per hive - Complete parsing, key artifact extraction, timeline reconstruction, persistence analysis, user activity artifacts, system configuration analysis, and comprehensive forensic artifact extraction

Why These Costs: Registry analysis requires significant computational resources for parsing complex binary structures, extracting diverse artifact types, correlating timestamps, and performing pattern analysis across large datasets.

Performance Expectations

Processing Times

• Single Registry Hive (50MB): 10-30 seconds depending on hive complexity
• Multiple Hives (SYSTEM, SOFTWARE, NTUSER): 1-3 minutes for comprehensive analysis
• Large Enterprise Hives: Processing time scales with hive size and artifact density

Integration Notes

• Timeline Integration: Timestamps compatible with forensic timeline tools
• SIEM Compatibility: Results formatted for security platform integration
• Export Options: Multiple output formats for various analysis workflows
• Cross-Artifact Correlation: Designed to correlate with Event Log and Prefetch analysis