If you want something as **fast** as possible: [https://github.com/carlospolop/autoVolatility](https://github.com/carlospolop/autoVolatility)
```text
python autoVolatility.py -f MEMFILE -d OUT_DIRECTORY -e /home/user/tools/volatility/vol.py # Will use most important plugins (could use a lot of space depending on the size of the memory)
Volatility has two main approaches to plugins, which are sometimes reflected in their names. “list” plugins will try to navigate through Windows Kernel structures to retrieve information like processes \(locate and walk the linked list of `_EPROCESS` structures in memory\), OS handles \(locating and listing the handle table, dereferencing any pointers found, etc\). They more or less behave like the Windows API would if requested to, for example, list processes.
That makes “list” plugins pretty fast, but just as vulnerable as the Windows API to manipulation by malware. For instance, if malware uses DKOM to unlink a process from the `_EPROCESS` linked list, it won’t show up in the Task Manager and neither will it in the pslist.
“scan” plugins, on the other hand, will take an approach similar to carving the memory for things that might make sense when dereferenced as specific structures. `psscan` for instance will read the memory and try to make out `_EPROCESS` objects out of it \(it uses pool-tag scanning, which is basically searching for 4-byte strings that indicate the presence of a structure of interest\). The advantage is that it can dig up processes that have exited, and even if malware tampers with the `_EPROCESS` linked list, the plugin will still find the structure lying around in memory \(since it still needs to exist for the process to run\). The downfall is that “scan” plugins are a bit slower than “list” plugins, and can sometimes yield false-positives \(a process that exited too long ago and had parts of its structure overwritten by other operations\).
If you want to use a **new profile you have downloaded** \(for example a linux one\) you need to create somewhere the following folder structure: _plugins/overlays/linux_ and put inside this folder the zip file containing the profile. Then, get the number of the profiles using:
LinuxCentOS7_3_10_0-123_el7_x86_64_profilex64 - A Profile for Linux CentOS7_3.10.0-123.el7.x86_64_profile x64
VistaSP0x64 - A Profile for Windows Vista SP0 x64
VistaSP0x86 - A Profile for Windows Vista SP0 x86
```
In the previous chunk you can see that the profile is called `LinuxCentOS7_3_10_0-123_el7_x86_64_profilex64` , and you can use it executing something like:
As opposed to imageinfo which simply provides profile suggestions, **kdbgscan** is designed to positively identify the correct profile and the correct KDBG address \(if there happen to be multiple\). This plugin scans for the KDBGHeader signatures linked to Volatility profiles and applies sanity checks to reduce false positives. The verbosity of the output and number of sanity checks that can be performed depends on whether Volatility can find a DTB, so if you already know the correct profile \(or if you have a profile suggestion from imageinfo\), then make sure you use it \(from [here](https://www.andreafortuna.org/2017/06/25/volatility-my-own-cheatsheet-part-1-image-identification/)\).
Always take a look in the **number of procceses that kdbgscan has found**. Sometimes imageinfo and kdbgscan can find **more than one** suitable **profile** but only the **valid one will have some process related** \(This is because in order to extract processes the correct KDBG address is needed\)
The **kernel debugger block** \(named KdDebuggerDataBlock of the type \_KDDEBUGGER\_DATA64, or **KDBG** by volatility\) is important for many things that Volatility and debuggers do. For example, it has a reference to the PsActiveProcessHead which is the list head of all processes required for process listing.
Extract SAM hashes, [domain cached credentials](../windows/stealing-credentials/credentials-protections.md#cached-credentials) and [lsa secrets](../windows/authentication-credentials-uac-and-efs.md#lsa-secrets).
The memory dump of a process will **extract everything** of the current status of the process. The **procdump** module will only **extract** the **code**.
Commands entered into cmd.exe are processed by **conhost.exe** \(csrss.exe prior to Windows 7\). So even if an attacker managed to **kill the cmd.exe****prior** to us obtaining a memory **dump**, there is still a good chance of **recovering history** of the command line session from **conhost.exe’s memory**. If you find **something weird** \(using the consoles modules\), try to **dump** the **memory** of the **conhost.exe associated** process and **search** for **strings** inside it to extract the command lines.
The NTFS file system contains a file called the _master file table_, or MFT. There is at least one entry in the MFT for every file on an NTFS file system volume, including the MFT itself. **All information about a file, including its size, time and date stamps, permissions, and data content**, is stored either in MFT entries, or in space outside the MFT that is described by MFT entries. From [here](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/fileio/master-file-table).
Use this script to download and merge all the yara malware rules from github: [https://gist.github.com/andreafortuna/29c6ea48adf3d45a979a78763cdc7ce9](https://gist.github.com/andreafortuna/29c6ea48adf3d45a979a78763cdc7ce9)
Create the _**rules**_ directory and execute it. This will create a file called _**malware\_rules.yar**_ which contains all the yara rules for malware.
The MBR holds the information on how the logical partitions, containing [file systems](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File_system), are organized on that medium. The MBR also contains executable code to function as a loader for the installed operating system—usually by passing control over to the loader's [second stage](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second-stage_boot_loader), or in conjunction with each partition's [volume boot record](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volume_boot_record) \(VBR\). This MBR code is usually referred to as a [boot loader](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boot_loader). From [here](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Master_boot_record).
