In this lab walkthrough, where we'll dive into a sophisticated cybersecurity incident involving a researcher who inadvertently downloaded and executed malicious software while searching for specialized fluid dynamics modeling tools. This case study provides an excellent opportunity to apply advanced digital forensics techniques to analyze a memory image and uncover the full extent of the system compromise. We'll employ industry-standard forensic tools including MemProcFS, Volatility 3, Timeline Explorer, and specialized utilities to methodically reconstruct the attack timeline and identify the attacker's tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs). Throughout our investigation, we'll examine browser artifacts, process execution history, registry modifications, network connections, and anti-forensic activities to develop a comprehensive understanding of the incident. Digital forensics is an investigative discipline that focuses on recovering and analyzing data from digital devices to reconstruct events and identify malicious activities. Memory forensics, specifically, involves examining the contents of volatile memory (RAM) captured at the time of the incident, providing invaluable insights that might not be available from disk-based forensics alone.
As we work through this lab, we'll apply the scientific method to digital forensics: making observations, formulating hypotheses, testing them with available evidence, and reaching conclusions based on our findings. We'll identify when the attack began, how the malware gained its foothold, what techniques were used for privilege escalation and persistence, and how the attacker attempted to cover their tracks. Let's begin our forensic journey by e