Analyzing Slack Space and File System Artifacts

When to Use

• When searching for hidden or residual data in file system slack space
• For analyzing NTFS Master File Table (MFT) entries for deleted file metadata
• When reconstructing file operations from the USN Change Journal
• For detecting Alternate Data Streams (ADS) used to hide data or malware
• During deep forensic analysis requiring examination beyond standard file recovery

Prerequisites

• Forensic disk image with NTFS file system
• The Sleuth Kit (TSK) tools: istat, icat, fls, blkls, blkstat
• MFTECmd (Eric Zimmerman) for MFT parsing
• MFTExplorer for interactive MFT analysis
• Understanding of NTFS structures (MFT, $UsnJrnl, $LogFile, ADS)
• Python with analyzeMFT or mft library for automated parsing

Workflow