mirror of
https://github.com/HackTricks-wiki/hacktricks.git
synced 2025-10-10 18:36:50 +00:00
176 lines
5.1 KiB
Markdown
176 lines
5.1 KiB
Markdown
# Image Acquisition & Mount
|
||
|
||
{{#include ../../banners/hacktricks-training.md}}
|
||
|
||
|
||
## Acquisition
|
||
|
||
> Always acquire **read-only** and **hash while you copy**. Keep the original device **write-blocked** and work only on verified copies.
|
||
|
||
### DD
|
||
|
||
```bash
|
||
# Generate a raw, bit-by-bit image (no on-the-fly hashing)
|
||
dd if=/dev/sdb of=disk.img bs=4M status=progress conv=noerror,sync
|
||
# Verify integrity afterwards
|
||
sha256sum disk.img > disk.img.sha256
|
||
```
|
||
|
||
### dc3dd / dcfldd
|
||
|
||
`dc3dd` is the actively maintained fork of dcfldd (DoD Computer Forensics Lab dd).
|
||
|
||
```bash
|
||
# Create an image and calculate multiple hashes at acquisition time
|
||
sudo dc3dd if=/dev/sdc of=/forensics/pc.img hash=sha256,sha1 hashlog=/forensics/pc.hashes log=/forensics/pc.log bs=1M
|
||
```
|
||
|
||
### Guymager
|
||
Graphical, multithreaded imager that supports **raw (dd)**, **EWF (E01/EWFX)** and **AFF4** output with parallel verification. Available in most Linux repos (`apt install guymager`).
|
||
|
||
```bash
|
||
# Start in GUI mode
|
||
sudo guymager
|
||
# Or acquire from CLI (since v0.9.5)
|
||
sudo guymager --simulate --input /dev/sdb --format EWF --hash sha256 --output /evidence/drive.e01
|
||
```
|
||
|
||
### AFF4 (Advanced Forensics Format 4)
|
||
|
||
AFF4 is Google’s modern imaging format designed for *very* large evidence (sparse, resumable, cloud-native).
|
||
|
||
```bash
|
||
# Acquire to AFF4 using the reference tool
|
||
pipx install aff4imager
|
||
sudo aff4imager acquire /dev/nvme0n1 /evidence/nvme.aff4 --hash sha256
|
||
|
||
# Velociraptor can also acquire AFF4 images remotely
|
||
velociraptor --config server.yaml frontend collect --artifact Windows.Disk.Acquire --args device="\\.\\PhysicalDrive0" format=AFF4
|
||
```
|
||
|
||
### FTK Imager (Windows & Linux)
|
||
|
||
You can [download FTK Imager](https://accessdata.com/product-download) and create **raw, E01 or AFF4** images:
|
||
|
||
```bash
|
||
ftkimager /dev/sdb evidence --e01 --case-number 1 --evidence-number 1 \
|
||
--description 'Laptop seizure 2025-07-22' --examiner 'AnalystName' --compress 6
|
||
```
|
||
|
||
### EWF tools (libewf)
|
||
|
||
```bash
|
||
sudo ewfacquire /dev/sdb -u evidence -c 1 -d "Seizure 2025-07-22" -e 1 -X examiner --format encase6 --compression best
|
||
```
|
||
|
||
### Imaging Cloud Disks
|
||
|
||
*AWS* – create a **forensic snapshot** without shutting down the instance:
|
||
|
||
```bash
|
||
aws ec2 create-snapshot --volume-id vol-01234567 --description "IR-case-1234 web-server 2025-07-22"
|
||
# Copy the snapshot to S3 and download with aws cli / aws snowball
|
||
```
|
||
|
||
*Azure* – use `az snapshot create` and export to a SAS URL.
|
||
|
||
|
||
## Mount
|
||
|
||
### Choosing the right approach
|
||
|
||
1. Mount the **whole disk** when you want the original partition table (MBR/GPT).
|
||
2. Mount a **single partition file** when you only need one volume.
|
||
3. Always mount **read-only** (`-o ro,norecovery`) and work on **copies**.
|
||
|
||
### Raw images (dd, AFF4-extracted)
|
||
|
||
```bash
|
||
# Identify partitions
|
||
fdisk -l disk.img
|
||
|
||
# Attach the image to a network block device (does not modify the file)
|
||
sudo modprobe nbd max_part=16
|
||
sudo qemu-nbd --connect=/dev/nbd0 --read-only disk.img
|
||
|
||
# Inspect partitions
|
||
lsblk /dev/nbd0 -o NAME,SIZE,TYPE,FSTYPE,LABEL,UUID
|
||
|
||
# Mount a partition (e.g. /dev/nbd0p2)
|
||
sudo mount -o ro,uid=$(id -u) /dev/nbd0p2 /mnt
|
||
```
|
||
|
||
Detach when finished:
|
||
```bash
|
||
sudo umount /mnt && sudo qemu-nbd --disconnect /dev/nbd0
|
||
```
|
||
|
||
### EWF (E01/EWFX)
|
||
|
||
```bash
|
||
# 1. Mount the EWF container
|
||
mkdir /mnt/ewf
|
||
ewfmount evidence.E01 /mnt/ewf
|
||
|
||
# 2. Attach the exposed raw file via qemu-nbd (safer than loop)
|
||
sudo qemu-nbd --connect=/dev/nbd1 --read-only /mnt/ewf/ewf1
|
||
|
||
# 3. Mount the desired partition
|
||
sudo mount -o ro,norecovery /dev/nbd1p1 /mnt/evidence
|
||
```
|
||
|
||
Alternatively convert on the fly with **xmount**:
|
||
|
||
```bash
|
||
xmount --in ewf evidence.E01 --out raw /tmp/raw_mount
|
||
mount -o ro /tmp/raw_mount/image.dd /mnt
|
||
```
|
||
|
||
### LVM / BitLocker / VeraCrypt volumes
|
||
|
||
After attaching the block device (loop or nbd):
|
||
|
||
```bash
|
||
# LVM
|
||
sudo vgchange -ay # activate logical volumes
|
||
sudo lvscan | grep "/dev/nbd0"
|
||
|
||
# BitLocker (dislocker)
|
||
sudo dislocker -V /dev/nbd0p3 -u -- /mnt/bitlocker
|
||
sudo mount -o ro /mnt/bitlocker/dislocker-file /mnt/evidence
|
||
```
|
||
|
||
### kpartx helpers
|
||
|
||
`kpartx` maps partitions from an image to `/dev/mapper/` automatically:
|
||
|
||
```bash
|
||
sudo kpartx -av disk.img # creates /dev/mapper/loop0p1, loop0p2 …
|
||
mount -o ro /dev/mapper/loop0p2 /mnt
|
||
```
|
||
|
||
### Common mount errors & fixes
|
||
|
||
| Error | Typical Cause | Fix |
|
||
|-------|---------------|-----|
|
||
| `cannot mount /dev/loop0 read-only` | Journaled FS (ext4) not cleanly unmounted | use `-o ro,norecovery` |
|
||
| `bad superblock …` | Wrong offset or damaged FS | calculate offset (`sector*size`) or run `fsck -n` on a copy |
|
||
| `mount: unknown filesystem type 'LVM2_member'` | LVM container | activate volume group with `vgchange -ay` |
|
||
|
||
### Clean-up
|
||
|
||
Remember to **umount** and **disconnect** loop/nbd devices to avoid leaving dangling mappings that can corrupt further work:
|
||
|
||
```bash
|
||
umount -Rl /mnt/evidence
|
||
kpartx -dv /dev/loop0 # or qemu-nbd --disconnect /dev/nbd0
|
||
```
|
||
|
||
|
||
## References
|
||
|
||
- AFF4 imaging tool announcement & specification: https://github.com/aff4/aff4
|
||
- qemu-nbd manual page (mounting disk images safely): https://manpages.debian.org/qemu-system-common/qemu-nbd.1.en.html
|
||
|
||
{{#include ../../banners/hacktricks-training.md}}
|