Windows registry in forensic analysis

Windows registry contains information that are helpful during a forensic analysis

Windows registry is an excellent source for evidential data, and knowing the type of information that could possible exist in the registry and location is critical during the forensic analysis process.

Let’s analyze the main keys…

Recent opened Programs/Files/URLs

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ComDlg32\OpenSaveMRU

MRU is the abbreviation for most-recently-used.

This key maintains a list of recently opened or saved files via Windows Explorer-style dialog boxes (Open/Save dialog box).
For instance, files (e.g. .txt, .pdf, htm, .jpg) that are recently opened or saved files from within a web browser are maintained.

Documents that are opened or saved via Microsoft Office programs are not maintained.

Whenever a new entry is added to OpenSaveMRU key, registry value is created or updated in

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ComDlg32\LastVisitedMRU

This key correlates to the previous OpenSaveMRU key to provide extra information: each binary registry value under this key contains a recently used program executable filename, and the folder path of a file to which the program has been used to open or save it.

The list of files recently opened directly from Windows Explorer are stored into

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RecentDocs

This key corresponds to %USERPROFILE%Recent (My Recent Documents) and contains local or network files that are recently opened and only the filename in binary form is stored.

Start>Run

The list of entries executed using the Start>Run command in mantained in this key:

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RunMRU

If a file is executed via Run command, it will leaves traces in the previous two keys OpenSaveMRU and RecentDocs.

Deleting the subkeys in RunMRU does not remove the history list in Run command box immediately.

By using Windows “Recent Opened Documents” Clear List feature via Control Panel>Taskbar and Start Menu, an attacker can remove the Run command history list.

In fact, executing the Clear List function will remove the following registry keys and their subkeys:

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RecentDocs
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RunMRU
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\TypedURLs
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ComDlg32\OpenSaveMRU
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\ComDlg32\LastVisitedMRU

UserAssist

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\UserAssist

This key contains two GUID subkeys: each subkey maintains a list of system objects such as program, shortcut, and control panel applets that a user has accessed.

Registry values under these subkeys are weakly encrypted using ROT-13 algorithm which basically substitutes a character with another character 13 position away from it in the ASCII table.

Recent URLs

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\TypedURLs

This key contains a listing of 25 recent URLs (or file path) that is typed in the Internet Explorer (IE) or Windows Explorer address bar: the key will only show links that are fully typed, automatically completed while typing, or links that are selected from the list of stored URLs in IE address bar.

Websites that are accessed via IE Favorites are not recorded, and if the user clears the URL history using Clear History via IE Internet Options menu, this key will be completely removed.

Pagefile

HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management

This key maintains the configuration of Windows virtual memory: the paging file (usually C:pagefile.sys) may contain evidential information that could be removed once the suspect computer is shutdown.

This key contains a registry value called ClearPagefileAtShutdown which specify whether Windows should clear off the paging file when the computer shutdowns (by default, windows will not clear the paging file).

During a forensic analysis you should check this value before shutting down a suspect computer!

Windows Search

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Search Assistant\ACMru

This key contains recent search terms using Windows default search.

There may be up to four subkeys:

5001: Contains list of terms used for the Internet Search Assistant
5603: Contains the list of terms used for the Windows files and folders search
5604: Contains list of terms used in the “word or phrase in a file” search
5647: Contains list of terms used in the “for computers or people” search

Installed programs

All programs listed in Control Panel>Add/Remove Programs correspond to one subkey into this key:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\Current\Version\Uninstall

Subkeys usually contains these two common registry values:

DisplayName — program name
UninstallString — application Uninstall component’s file path, which indirectly refers to application installation path

Other possible useful registry values may exist, which include information on install date, install source and application version.

Mounted drives

The list of mounted devices, with associated persistent volume name and unique internal identifier for respective devices is contained into

HKLM\SYSTEM\MountedDevices

This key lists any volume that is mounted and assigned a drive letter, including USB storage devices and external DVD/CDROM drives.

From the listed registry values, value’s name that starts with “DosDevices” and ends with the associated drive letter, contains information regarding that particular mounted device.

Similar informations are contained also in

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MountPoints2\CPCVolume

which is located under the respective device GUID subkey and in the binary registry value named Data.

This key is a point of interest during a forensic analysis: the key records shares on remote systems such C$, Temp$, etc.

The existence of ProcDump indicates the dumping of credentials within lsass.exe address space. Sc.exe indicates the adding of persistence such as Run keys or services. The presence of .rar files may indicate data exfiltration.

The history of recent mapped network drives is store into

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Map Network Drive MRU

In addition, permanent subkey (unless manually removed from registry) regarding mapped network drive is also created in

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Current\VersionExplorer\MountPoints2

and the subkey is named in the form of ##servername#sharedfolder.

USB Storage

The key:

HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USBSTOR

contains addition information about list of mounted USB storage devices, including external memory cards.

When used in conjunction with two previous keys will provide evidential information.

Autorun

There are different keys related to automatic run of programs.

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run

This first key usually contains programs or components paths that are automatically run during system startup without requiring user interaction: malware usually leaves trace in this key to be persistent whenever system reboots.

RunOnce and RunOnceEx (only Win98/Me)

These keys identifies programs that run only once, at startup and can be assigned to a specific user account or to the machine:

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnce
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\RunOnceEx

RunServices and RunServicesOnce

Can control automatic startup of services.
They can be assigned to a specific user account or to a computer:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\Services
HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\Services
HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\ServicesOnce
HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run\ServicesOnce

Command Processor Autorun

This key contains command that is automatically executed each time cmd.exe is run:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Command Processor
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Command Processor

Modification to this key requires administrative privilege.

Usually malware exploits this feature to load itself without user’s knowledge.

Winlogon

This key has a registry value named Shell with default data Explorer.exe.

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Winlogon

Malware appends the malware executable file to the default value’s data to stay persistence across system reboots and logins (modification to this key requires administrative privilege).

Services

This key contains list of Windows services:

HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services

Each subkey represents a service and contains service’s information such as startup configuration and executable image path.

For more information about malware persistence techniques, please refer to my previous article:

https://www.andreafortuna.org/cybersecurity/malware-persistence-techniques/

Debugging

This key allows administrator to map an executable filename to a different debugger source, allowing user to debug a program using a different program:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options

Modification to this key requires administrative privilege.

This feature could be exploited to launch a completely different program under the cover of the initial program.

File extensions

This key contains instruction to execute any .exe extension file:

HKCR\exe\fileshell\opencommand

Normally, this key contains one default value with data “%1” %*, but if the value’s data is changed to something similar to somefilename.exe “%1” %* , investigator should suspect some other hidden program is invoked automatically when the actual .exe file is executed.

Malware normally modify this value to load itself covertly

This technique apply to other similar keys, including:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\batfile\shell\open\command
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\comfile\shell\open\command

Windows Protect Storage

Protected Storage is a service used by Microsoft products to provide a secure area to store private information.

Information that could be stored in Protected Storage includes for example Internet Explorer AutoComplete strings and passwords, Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express accounts’ passwords.

Windows Protected Storage is maintained under this key:

HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Protected Storage System Provider

Registry Editor hides these registry keys from users viewing, including administrator.

There are tools that allow examiner to view the decrypted Protected Storage on a live system, such as Protected Storage PassView and PStoreView.