Master memory forensics techniques including memory acquisition, process analysis, and artifact extraction using Volatility and related tools. Use when analyzing memory dumps, investigating incidents, or performing malware analysis from RAM captures.

Memory Forensics Comprehensive techniques for acquiring, analyzing, and extracting artifacts from memory dumps for incident response and malware analysis. When to Use This Skill Performing memory analysis during incident response or breach investigation Extracting malware artifacts (processes, injected code, network connections) from a RAM capture Acquiring volatile memory from a live Windows/Linux/macOS system before shutdown Using Volatility 3 / Rekall to triage memory dumps Recovering credentials, browser sessions, or open files from process memory Memory Acquisition Live Acquisition Tools Windows Linux macOS Virtual Machine Memory Detailed section: Volatility 3 Framework Originally a 2680 byte section in this SKILL.md. Moved to references/details.md to fit Codex's 8 KB skill body cap. Analysis Workflows Malware Analysis Workflow Incident Response Workflow Data Structures Windows Process Structures VAD (Virtual Address Descriptor) Detection Patterns Process Injection Indicators Rootkit Detection Credential Extraction YARA Integration Writing Memory YARA Rules Scanning Memory String Analysis Extracting Strings FLOSS for Obfuscated Strings Best Practices Acquisition Best Practices 1. Minimize footprint : Use lightweight acquisition tools 2. Document everything : Record time, tool, and hash of capture 3. Verify integrity : Hash memory dump immediately after capture 4. Chain of custody : Maintain proper forensic handling Analysis Best Practices 1. Start broad : Get overview before deep diving 2. Cross reference : Use multiple plugins for same data 3. Timeline correlation : Correlate memory findings with disk/network 4. Document findings : Keep detailed notes and screenshots 5. Validate results : Verify findings through multiple methods Common Pitfalls Stale data : Memory is volatile, analyze promptly Incomplete dumps : Verify dump size matches expected RAM Symbol issues : Ensure correct symbol files for OS version Smear : Memory may change during acquisition Encryption : Some data may be encrypted in memory

memory-forensics