Forensic Analysis of Browser Artifacts

In today’s digital age, web browsers have become an integral part of our daily lives. From browsing websites to accessing online services, browsers store a wealth of valuable information that can aid in forensic investigations. This article explores the significance of browser artifacts in forensic analysis of the Windows operating system, shedding light on the valuable digital footprints left behind by users.

When users interact with web browsers, a variety of artifacts are generated and stored on their Windows systems. These artifacts include browsing history, cookies, cache files, bookmarks, downloads, form data, and session information. Each of these artifacts provides a unique glimpse into the user’s online activities and can serve as critical evidence in forensic investigations.

In this chapter, we will cover the following topics:

• Overview of browsers
• Internet Explorer and Edge
• Google Chrome
• Firefox...

Technical requirements

Browser forensic analysis requires multiple tools to parse the evidence. The tools utilized in this chapter are as follows:

• DB Browser: https://ericzimmerman.github.io/#!index.md
• Nirsoft Web Browsers Tools: https://www.nirsoft.net/web_browser_tools.html
• BrowsingHistoryView: https://www.nirsoft.net/utils/browsing_history_view.html

Overview of browsers

The usage of web browsers on Windows operating systems has become ubiquitous in today’s digital landscape. With a wide array of browser options available, it is crucial to understand the various browsers utilized by Windows users. This section provides an in-depth overview of the most commonly used browsers on Windows, offering technical insights into their features and security aspects.

In the realm of digital forensics, the examination of web browsers on Windows operating systems holds significant importance. Web browsers serve as a gateway to users’ online activities and can contain a wealth of valuable forensic artifacts. Understanding the most commonly used browsers on Windows and their technical aspects is crucial for digital forensic investigators. This article provides a comprehensive overview of these browsers, focusing on their relevance to digital forensic investigations.

During a digital forensic investigation, analyzing web browsers...

Internet Explorer

IE is a web browser developed by Microsoft that has been through several versions from IE6 to IE11. Let’s explore the key features and changes introduced in each version:

• Internet Explorer 6 (IE6) was a popular browser released in 2001. It introduced tabbed browsing, allowing users to open multiple websites in a single window. However, it faced criticism for security vulnerabilities and limited support for web standards.
• Internet Explorer 7 (IE7) was released in 2006, addressing the security concerns of its predecessor. It provided enhanced security features, including protection against phishing attacks. IE7 also improved support for web standards, making websites look and function better.
• Internet Explorer 8 (IE8), launched in 2009, focused on compatibility and security. It introduced features such as accelerators, enabling quick access to web services, and web slices, which allowed users to monitor specific parts of a web page. IE8 also enhanced...

Microsoft Edge

Microsoft Edge is a web browser developed by Microsoft as a successor to IE. Here’s a brief history of Microsoft Edge:

• Microsoft Edge (2015): Microsoft Edge was first introduced in 2015 with the release of Windows 10, replacing IE as the default browser. It was built from scratch using a new rendering engine called EdgeHTML, which aimed to improve performance, security, and compatibility with modern web standards.
• EdgeHTML and Legacy Edge (2015-2019): In its early years, Microsoft Edge relied on the EdgeHTML rendering engine, which offered faster page rendering and better standards compliance than IE. The browser featured a minimalist design, with a focus on speed, simplicity, and integration with Microsoft services such as Cortana and OneDrive. However, despite its improvements, the adoption rate of Edge was relatively low compared to other browsers, such as Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.
• Transition to Chromium (2019): In December 2018, Microsoft...

Google Chrome

Google Chrome was first announced by Google in September 2008 with the goal of creating a fast, secure, and user-friendly web browser. The browser’s development was based on the open source Chromium project, which uses the Blink rendering engine.

Google Chrome emphasized speed and simplicity as its key features. It introduced a minimalist user interface, with a focus on efficient performance and a streamlined browsing experience. Chrome introduced the concept of each tab running in a separate process, enhancing stability and isolating potential crashes to individual tabs.

Google Chrome adopted a rapid release cycle, with frequent updates that brought new features, security patches, and performance improvements. The regular updates ensured that users had access to the latest browser advancements and security enhancements.

Google Chrome, being a widely used web browser, generates various forensic artifacts that can be valuable for digital forensic investigations...

Firefox

Firefox is a popular open source web browser developed by Mozilla Corporation. Since its initial release in 2004, Firefox has become one of the world’s leading browsers, gaining a substantial user base worldwide. This summary provides an overview of the browser, its key features, and its impact on the web browsing landscape.

Firefox is known for its commitment to user privacy and security. It offers a range of privacy-oriented features, such as enhanced tracking protection, which blocks third-party trackers, preventing advertisers from monitoring users’ online activities. Additionally, it has a robust set of security features, including regular updates to address vulnerabilities and protect against potential threats.

One of Firefox’s distinctive features is its customizability. Users can extend and personalize their browsing experience through a vast library of add-ons and extensions. These add-ons enable users to tailor the browser to suit their...

Browser forensics exercises

Let’s apply what we have learned so far. Try to complete these exercises:

1. Check the 24-hour history for Google Chrome using the DB for SQLite tool.
2. Validate the downloaded files from Google Chrome.
3. Explore Firefox’s places.sqlite file and extract evidence of file downloads.

Summary

In conclusion, the field of browser forensics encompasses the investigation and analysis of various web browsers to extract valuable evidence related to a user’s online activities. Throughout this chapter, we have explored the forensic artifacts and techniques associated with popular web browsers, such as IE, Microsoft Edge, and Google Chrome.

We learned about the different versions of IE, from IE6 to IE11, and the evolving features and improvements of each iteration. We discussed the location of important data, including the history and the cache, and how forensic analysts can extract and analyze this data to gain insights into a user’s browsing habits.

Moving on to Microsoft Edge, we explored its transition from the legacy EdgeHTML engine to the Chromium-based Edge. We discussed the databases used by Edge to store browsing history, cookies, and other artifacts, and how they can be examined to uncover evidence.

Google Chrome, one of the most popular...