Introduction:
In the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity, the ability to efficiently analyze Windows event logs is paramount. Eric Zimmerman's EvtxECmd emerges as a game-changer, offering not just a command-line parser but a comprehensive tool for transforming, filtering, and extracting critical information from Windows event logs.
Understanding the Challenge:
Windows event logs, with their custom formats for each event type, present a significant challenge for analysts trying to normalize and filter logs at scale. EvtxECmd tackles this challenge head-on by leveraging crowd-sourced event map files. These files, tailored for each event log and type, utilize Xpath filters to extract crucial information, simplifying the filtering and grouping of data.
Key Features and Functionality:
---Customized Event Map Files:
EvtxECmd hosts a collection of crowd-sourced event map files for each event log and type.
These map files utilize Xpath filters to extract critical information from events, such as usernames, domains, IP addresses, and more.
EvtxECmd's true power lies in its ability to normalize and filter logs at scale.
It can process logs from various systems or different log types on a single system, allowing for easy analysis and extraction of valuable insights.
The tool can be run on live systems, accessing the Volume Shadow Service (VSS) to retrieve older versions of event logs.
Live analysis capabilities make it a versatile solution for real-time incident response and forensic investigations.
Modern event logs being in XML format, EvtxECmd capitalizes on Xpath filtering for easy identification of specific parts of XML output.
Event type-specific map files extract relevant values using Xpath filter notation.
Understanding the Map File:
Example: EID 4624
The EvtxECmd Map file for Event ID 4624 demonstrates how individual elements are referenced using Xpath filter notation.
Standardized fields like UserName, RemoteHost, and ExecutableInfo provide consistent data points for various event types.
Powerful Filtering with Timeline Explorer:
Creative Filtering Opportunities:
Grouping and Segmentation:
Running EvtxEcmd on live system to extract artifacts:
COMMAND LINE: - EvtxECmd.exe -d C:\windows\system32\winevt\logs --csv C:\Users\user\desktop --csvf eventlogs.csv –vss
Breaking Up:
-d (directory) (Path of (directory)logs where it present)
--csv \Users\user\desktop (CSV Format where you want store)
--csvf eventlogs.csv File name to save CSV formatted results
–vss Process all Volume Shadow Copies that exist on drive
Running EvtxEcmd on collected logs from system:
COMMAND LINE: - EvtxECmd.exe -d C:\users\user\downloads\logs\ --csv C:\Users\user\desktop --csvf eventlogs.csv
-d (Provide path where all logs present)
Running EvtxEcmd on Single log for example security.evtx:
COMMAND LINE: - EvtxECmd.exe -f C:\users\user\download\security.evtx --csv C:\Users\user\desktop --csvf eventlogs.csv
-f (For single evtx file)
Conclusion:
The collaboration of EvtxECmd with Timeline Explorer enhances the analytical capabilities, providing a holistic approach to Windows event log analysis.
Whether you are dealing with incident response, forensic investigations, or simply aiming to strengthen your cybersecurity posture, EvtxECmd proves to be a must-have tool in your arsenal. The flexibility and power it brings to the table empower analysts to navigate through the intricacies of Windows event logs, unveiling critical information for a proactive cybersecurity stance.
Akash Patel
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