Skip to main content

Finding Forensic Information on Creating a Folder in $LogFile of NTFS

  • Conference paper
Digital Forensics and Cyber Crime (ICDF2C 2011)

Abstract

The NTFS journaling file($LogFile) is used to keep the file system clean in the event of a system crash or power failure. The log records operate on files or folders and leaves large amounts of information in the $LogFile. This information can be used to reconstruct operations and can also be used as forensic evidence. In this research, we present methods for collecting forensic evidence of timestamps and folder names relating to a folder’s creation. In some of the related log records for creating a folder, four log records that have timestamps and folder name information that are 0x0E/0x0F(Redo/Undo op. code), 0x02/0x00, 0x08/0x00, and 0x14/0x14 were analyzed. Unfortunately, the structure of $LogFile is not well known or documented. As a result the researchers used reverse engineering in order to gain a better understanding of the log record structures. The study found that using basic information contained in the $LogFile, a forensic reconstruction of timestamp events could be created.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Russinovich, M.E., Solomon, D.A.: Microsoft Windows Internals, 4th edn., pp. 733–774. Microsoft Press (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Carrier, B.: File System Forensic Analysis, pp. 273–396. Addison-Wesley (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Dreher, K.: NTFS. Master Thesis of Department of Information Technology Institute of technology, Lund, Sweden (November 1998)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Singireddy, P.: Recoverability Support in NT File System (NTFS), http://www.eas.asu.edu/~cse532/ or http://www.docstoc.com/docs/28691891/ntfs_mod/

  5. Cho, G.S.: An Analysis of NTFS Journal File for a Computer Forensic. Digital Forensic Research 3(1), 51–60 (2009)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Kim, T.H., Cho, G.S.: A Digital Forensic Method for File Creation using Journal File of NTFS. Journal of KSDIM 6(2), 107–118 (2010)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Data Integrity and Recoverability with NTFS, http://www.ntfs.com

  8. Transaction log supports NTFS recoverability, http://support.microsoft.com/kb/101670

  9. NTFS Documentation, http://www.linux-ntfs.org

  10. Russon, R.: NTFS Documentation (2009), http://www.linux-ntfs.org

  11. Naik, D.C.: Inside Windows Storage, ch. 6.5. Addison Wesley (July 2003)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Casey, E.: Uncertainty and Loss in Digital Evidence. International Journal of Digital Evidence 1(2) (Summer 2002)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Boyd, C., Forster, P.: Time and Date Issues in Forensic Computing – A Case Study. Digital Investigation 1(1), 18–23 (2004)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Chow, K.P., et al.: The Rules of Time on NTFS File System. In: SADFE, pp. 71–85 (March 2007)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2012 ICST Institute for Computer Science, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering

About this paper

Cite this paper

Cho, GS., Rogers, M.K. (2012). Finding Forensic Information on Creating a Folder in $LogFile of NTFS. In: Gladyshev, P., Rogers, M.K. (eds) Digital Forensics and Cyber Crime. ICDF2C 2011. Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, vol 88. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35515-8_18

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-35515-8_18

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-35514-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-35515-8

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics