Performing SQLite Database Forensics Overview SQLite is the most widely deployed database engine in the world, used by virtually every mobile application, web browser, and many desktop applications to store user data. In digital forensics, SQLite databases are critical evidence sources containing browser history, messaging records, call logs, GPS locations, application preferences, and cached content. Forensic analysis goes beyond simple SQL queries to examine the internal B-tree page structures, freelist pages containing deleted records, Write-Ahead Log (WAL) files preserving transaction his…

)\n\n\nclass SQLiteForensicsAgent:\n \"\"\"Performs forensic analysis on SQLite database files.\"\"\"\n\n def __init__(self, db_path, output_dir=\"./sqlite_forensics\"):\n self.db_path = db_path\n self.output_dir = Path(output_dir)\n self.output_dir.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)\n self.findings = []\n\n def parse_header(self):\n \"\"\"Parse the 100-byte SQLite database header.\"\"\"\n with open(self.db_path, \"rb\") as f:\n header = f.read(100)\n\n magic = header[0:16]\n if magic != b\"SQLite format 3\\x00\":\n return {\"error\": \"Not a valid SQLite database\"}\n\n page_size = struct.unpack(\">H\", header[16:18])[0]\n if page_size == 1:\n page_size = 65536\n\n return {\n \"magic\": magic[:15].decode(\"ascii\"),\n \"page_size\": page_size,\n \"write_format\": header[18],\n \"read_format\": header[19],\n \"change_counter\": struct.unpack(\">I\", header[24:28])[0],\n \"db_size_pages\": struct.unpack(\">I\", header[28:32])[0],\n \"first_freelist_page\": struct.unpack(\">I\", header[32:36])[0],\n \"total_freelist_pages\": struct.unpack(\">I\", header[36:40])[0],\n \"schema_cookie\": struct.unpack(\">I\", header[40:44])[0],\n \"text_encoding\": {1: \"UTF-8\", 2: \"UTF-16le\", 3: \"UTF-16be\"}.get(\n struct.unpack(\">I\", header[52:56])[0], \"unknown\"),\n \"db_size_bytes\": os.path.getsize(self.db_path),\n }\n\n def analyze_freelist(self):\n \"\"\"Walk freelist trunk chain to identify pages with deleted data.\"\"\"\n with open(self.db_path, \"rb\") as f:\n header = f.read(100)\n page_size = struct.unpack(\">H\", header[16:18])[0]\n if page_size == 1:\n page_size = 65536\n first_trunk = struct.unpack(\">I\", header[32:36])[0]\n total_free = struct.unpack(\">I\", header[36:40])[0]\n\n if first_trunk == 0:\n return {\"freelist_pages\": 0, \"trunk_pages\": [], \"leaf_pages\": []}\n\n trunk_pages, leaf_pages = [], []\n trunk = first_trunk\n while trunk != 0:\n offset = (trunk - 1) * page_size\n f.seek(offset)\n page_data = f.read(page_size)\n next_trunk = struct.unpack(\">I\", page_data[0:4])[0]\n leaf_count = struct.unpack(\">I\", page_data[4:8])[0]\n leaves = []\n for i in range(leaf_count):\n lp = struct.unpack(\">I\", page_data[8 + i * 4:12 + i * 4])[0]\n leaves.append(lp)\n trunk_pages.append({\"page\": trunk, \"leaf_count\": leaf_count})\n leaf_pages.extend(leaves)\n trunk = next_trunk\n\n if leaf_pages:\n self.findings.append({\"type\": \"freelist_data\",\n \"pages\": len(leaf_pages),\n \"note\": \"Deleted records may be recoverable\"})\n return {\"freelist_pages\": total_free,\n \"trunk_pages\": trunk_pages, \"leaf_pages\": leaf_pages}\n\n def extract_freelist_pages(self):\n \"\"\"Dump raw freelist leaf pages for hex analysis.\"\"\"\n info = self.analyze_freelist()\n with open(self.db_path, \"rb\") as f:\n hdr = f.read(100)\n page_size = struct.unpack(\">H\", hdr[16:18])[0]\n if page_size == 1:\n page_size = 65536\n out_dir = self.output_dir / \"freelist_pages\"\n out_dir.mkdir(exist_ok=True)\n for pn in info[\"leaf_pages\"]:\n f.seek((pn - 1) * page_size)\n data = f.read(page_size)\n (out_dir / f\"page_{pn}.bin\").write_bytes(data)\n return len(info[\"leaf_pages\"])\n\n def parse_wal(self):\n \"\"\"Parse WAL file frames for transaction history.\"\"\"\n wal_path = self.db_path + \"-wal\"\n if not os.path.exists(wal_path):\n return {\"wal_exists\": False}\n\n with open(wal_path, \"rb\") as f:\n header = f.read(32)\n magic = struct.unpack(\">I\", header[0:4])[0]\n page_size = struct.unpack(\">I\", header[8:12])[0]\n checkpoint_seq = struct.unpack(\">I\", header[12:16])[0]\n file_size = os.path.getsize(wal_path)\n\n frames = []\n offset = 32\n frame_num = 0\n while offset + 24 + page_size \u003c= file_size:\n f.seek(offset)\n fh = f.read(24)\n page_number = struct.unpack(\">I\", fh[0:4])[0]\n frames.append({\"frame\": frame_num, \"page\": page_number,\n \"offset\": offset})\n offset += 24 + page_size\n frame_num += 1\n\n return {\"wal_exists\": True, \"magic\": hex(magic),\n \"page_size\": page_size, \"checkpoint_seq\": checkpoint_seq,\n \"total_frames\": len(frames), \"frames\": frames[:50]}\n\n def query_tables(self):\n \"\"\"List all tables and row counts in the database.\"\"\"\n conn = sqlite3.connect(f\"file:{self.db_path}?mode=ro\", uri=True)\n cursor = conn.cursor()\n cursor.execute(\"SELECT name FROM sqlite_master WHERE type='table'\")\n tables = []\n for (name,) in cursor.fetchall():\n try:\n if not _SAFE_TABLE_RE.match(name):\n continue\n cursor.execute(f\"SELECT COUNT(*) FROM [{name}]\")\n count = cursor.fetchone()[0]\n except sqlite3.OperationalError:\n count = -1\n tables.append({\"table\": name, \"row_count\": count})\n conn.close()\n return tables\n\n @staticmethod\n def decode_timestamp(value, fmt=\"unix\"):\n \"\"\"Decode timestamps from common database formats.\"\"\"\n try:\n if fmt == \"unix\":\n return datetime.utcfromtimestamp(value).isoformat()\n elif fmt == \"chrome\":\n epoch_delta = 11644473600\n return datetime.utcfromtimestamp(\n (value / 1_000_000) - epoch_delta).isoformat()\n elif fmt == \"mac_absolute\":\n mac_epoch = datetime(2001, 1, 1)\n return (mac_epoch + timedelta(seconds=value)).isoformat()\n elif fmt == \"mozilla\":\n return datetime.utcfromtimestamp(value / 1_000_000).isoformat()\n except (OSError, ValueError, OverflowError):\n return None\n\n def generate_report(self):\n \"\"\"Generate comprehensive forensic analysis report.\"\"\"\n report = {\n \"database\": self.db_path,\n \"analysis_date\": datetime.utcnow().isoformat(),\n \"header\": self.parse_header(),\n \"tables\": self.query_tables(),\n \"freelist\": self.analyze_freelist(),\n \"wal\": self.parse_wal(),\n \"findings\": self.findings,\n }\n report_path = self.output_dir / \"sqlite_forensics_report.json\"\n with open(report_path, \"w\") as f:\n json.dump(report, f, indent=2, default=str)\n print(json.dumps(report, indent=2, default=str))\n return report\n\n\ndef main():\n if len(sys.argv) \u003c 2:\n print(\"Usage: agent.py \u003cdatabase.db> [output_dir]\")\n sys.exit(1)\n db_path = sys.argv[1]\n output_dir = sys.argv[2] if len(sys.argv) > 2 else \"./sqlite_forensics\"\n agent = SQLiteForensicsAgent(db_path, output_dir)\n agent.generate_report()\n\n\nif __name__ == \"__main__\":\n main()\n","content_type":"text/x-python; charset=utf-8","language":"python","size":7901,"content_sha256":"b7b89fcc428acd6a766c02379c82c2a92a9f938c8a89e395141983572c86101d"},{"filename":"scripts/process.py","content":"#!/usr/bin/env python3\n\"\"\"\nSQLite Database Forensic Analyzer\n\nPerforms forensic analysis of SQLite databases including freelist analysis,\nWAL parsing, deleted record recovery, and timestamp decoding.\n\"\"\"\n\nimport sqlite3\nimport struct\nimport os\nimport sys\nimport json\nfrom datetime import datetime, timedelta\nfrom pathlib import Path\n\n\nclass SQLiteForensicAnalyzer:\n \"\"\"Comprehensive SQLite database forensic analysis.\"\"\"\n\n def __init__(self, db_path: str, output_dir: str):\n self.db_path = db_path\n self.output_dir = output_dir\n os.makedirs(output_dir, exist_ok=True)\n\n def parse_header(self) -> dict:\n \"\"\"Parse the 100-byte SQLite database header.\"\"\"\n with open(self.db_path, \"rb\") as f:\n header = f.read(100)\n\n if header[:16] != b\"SQLite format 3\\x00\":\n return {\"error\": \"Not a valid SQLite database\"}\n\n page_size = struct.unpack(\">H\", header[16:18])[0]\n if page_size == 1:\n page_size = 65536\n\n return {\n \"magic\": header[:16].decode(\"ascii\", errors=\"replace\").strip(\"\\x00\"),\n \"page_size\": page_size,\n \"write_version\": header[18],\n \"read_version\": header[19],\n \"reserved_space\": header[20],\n \"file_change_counter\": struct.unpack(\">I\", header[24:28])[0],\n \"database_size_pages\": struct.unpack(\">I\", header[28:32])[0],\n \"first_freelist_page\": struct.unpack(\">I\", header[32:36])[0],\n \"total_freelist_pages\": struct.unpack(\">I\", header[36:40])[0],\n \"schema_cookie\": struct.unpack(\">I\", header[40:44])[0],\n \"schema_format\": struct.unpack(\">I\", header[44:48])[0],\n \"text_encoding\": {1: \"UTF-8\", 2: \"UTF-16le\", 3: \"UTF-16be\"}.get(\n struct.unpack(\">I\", header[52:56])[0], \"Unknown\"\n ),\n \"user_version\": struct.unpack(\">I\", header[60:64])[0],\n \"application_id\": struct.unpack(\">I\", header[68:72])[0],\n }\n\n def get_schema(self) -> list:\n \"\"\"Extract complete database schema.\"\"\"\n conn = sqlite3.connect(f\"file:{self.db_path}?mode=ro\", uri=True)\n cursor = conn.cursor()\n cursor.execute(\"SELECT type, name, tbl_name, sql FROM sqlite_master ORDER BY type, name\")\n schema = [\n {\"type\": row[0], \"name\": row[1], \"table_name\": row[2], \"sql\": row[3]}\n for row in cursor.fetchall()\n ]\n conn.close()\n return schema\n\n def get_table_stats(self) -> dict:\n \"\"\"Get row counts and basic stats for all tables.\"\"\"\n conn = sqlite3.connect(f\"file:{self.db_path}?mode=ro\", uri=True)\n cursor = conn.cursor()\n cursor.execute(\"SELECT name FROM sqlite_master WHERE type='table'\")\n tables = [row[0] for row in cursor.fetchall()]\n\n stats = {}\n for table in tables:\n try:\n cursor.execute(f'SELECT COUNT(*) FROM \"{table}\"')\n count = cursor.fetchone()[0]\n cursor.execute(f'PRAGMA table_info(\"{table}\")')\n columns = [\n {\"name\": col[1], \"type\": col[2], \"notnull\": bool(col[3]), \"pk\": bool(col[5])}\n for col in cursor.fetchall()\n ]\n stats[table] = {\"row_count\": count, \"columns\": columns}\n except sqlite3.OperationalError:\n stats[table] = {\"error\": \"Could not read table\"}\n\n conn.close()\n return stats\n\n def analyze_freelist(self) -> dict:\n \"\"\"Analyze freelist for deleted data.\"\"\"\n header = self.parse_header()\n page_size = header.get(\"page_size\", 4096)\n first_freelist = header.get(\"first_freelist_page\", 0)\n total_freelist = header.get(\"total_freelist_pages\", 0)\n\n if first_freelist == 0:\n return {\"freelist_pages\": 0, \"recoverable\": False}\n\n freelist_pages = []\n with open(self.db_path, \"rb\") as f:\n trunk = first_freelist\n while trunk != 0:\n offset = (trunk - 1) * page_size\n f.seek(offset)\n data = f.read(page_size)\n next_trunk = struct.unpack(\">I\", data[0:4])[0]\n leaf_count = struct.unpack(\">I\", data[4:8])[0]\n leaves = []\n for i in range(min(leaf_count, (page_size - 8) // 4)):\n leaf = struct.unpack(\">I\", data[8 + i * 4:12 + i * 4])[0]\n leaves.append(leaf)\n freelist_pages.append({\n \"trunk_page\": trunk,\n \"leaf_count\": leaf_count,\n \"leaves\": leaves\n })\n trunk = next_trunk\n\n return {\n \"total_freelist_pages\": total_freelist,\n \"trunk_pages\": len(freelist_pages),\n \"details\": freelist_pages,\n \"recoverable\": total_freelist > 0\n }\n\n def check_wal(self) -> dict:\n \"\"\"Check for WAL file and analyze its contents.\"\"\"\n wal_path = self.db_path + \"-wal\"\n if not os.path.exists(wal_path):\n return {\"exists\": False}\n\n wal_size = os.path.getsize(wal_path)\n with open(wal_path, \"rb\") as f:\n header = f.read(32)\n if len(header) \u003c 32:\n return {\"exists\": True, \"valid\": False}\n\n magic = struct.unpack(\">I\", header[0:4])[0]\n page_size = struct.unpack(\">I\", header[8:12])[0]\n checkpoint = struct.unpack(\">I\", header[12:16])[0]\n\n frame_count = (wal_size - 32) // (24 + page_size) if page_size > 0 else 0\n\n return {\n \"exists\": True,\n \"valid\": magic in (0x377f0682, 0x377f0683),\n \"size_bytes\": wal_size,\n \"page_size\": page_size,\n \"checkpoint_sequence\": checkpoint,\n \"estimated_frames\": frame_count\n }\n\n def generate_report(self) -> str:\n \"\"\"Generate comprehensive forensic analysis report.\"\"\"\n report = {\n \"analysis_timestamp\": datetime.now().isoformat(),\n \"database_path\": self.db_path,\n \"file_size\": os.path.getsize(self.db_path),\n \"header\": self.parse_header(),\n \"schema\": self.get_schema(),\n \"table_stats\": self.get_table_stats(),\n \"freelist\": self.analyze_freelist(),\n \"wal\": self.check_wal(),\n }\n\n report_path = os.path.join(self.output_dir, \"sqlite_forensic_report.json\")\n with open(report_path, \"w\") as f:\n json.dump(report, f, indent=2, default=str)\n\n print(f\"[*] Database: {self.db_path}\")\n print(f\"[*] Page size: {report['header'].get('page_size', 'N/A')}\")\n print(f\"[*] Tables: {len(report['table_stats'])}\")\n print(f\"[*] Freelist pages: {report['freelist'].get('total_freelist_pages', 0)}\")\n print(f\"[*] WAL present: {report['wal'].get('exists', False)}\")\n print(f\"[*] Report: {report_path}\")\n return report_path\n\n\ndef main():\n if len(sys.argv) \u003c 3:\n print(\"Usage: python process.py \u003csqlite_db_path> \u003coutput_dir>\")\n sys.exit(1)\n analyzer = SQLiteForensicAnalyzer(sys.argv[1], sys.argv[2])\n analyzer.generate_report()\n\n\nif __name__ == \"__main__\":\n main()\n","content_type":"text/x-python; charset=utf-8","language":"python","size":7234,"content_sha256":"fd7fa045510b03b627f31ae52b61e0f4d1cf71377750e799c12caae161842c41"}],"content_json":{"type":"doc","content":[{"type":"heading","attrs":{"level":1},"content":[{"text":"Performing SQLite Database Forensics","type":"text"}]},{"type":"heading","attrs":{"level":2},"content":[{"text":"Overview","type":"text"}]},{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"SQLite is the most widely deployed database engine in the world, used by virtually every mobile application, web browser, and many desktop applications to store user data. In digital forensics, SQLite databases are critical evidence sources containing browser history, messaging records, call logs, GPS locations, application preferences, and cached content. Forensic analysis goes beyond simple SQL queries to examine the internal B-tree page structures, freelist pages containing deleted records, Write-Ahead Log (WAL) files preserving transaction history, and unallocated space within database pages where recoverable data may persist after deletion.","type":"text"}]},{"type":"heading","attrs":{"level":2},"content":[{"text":"When to Use","type":"text"}]},{"type":"bullet_list","content":[{"type":"list_item","content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"When conducting security assessments that involve performing sqlite database forensics","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"list_item","content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"When following incident response procedures for related security events","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"list_item","content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"When performing scheduled security testing or auditing activities","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"list_item","content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"When validating security controls through hands-on testing","type":"text"}]}]}]},{"type":"heading","attrs":{"level":2},"content":[{"text":"Prerequisites","type":"text"}]},{"type":"bullet_list","content":[{"type":"list_item","content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"DB Browser for SQLite (sqlitebrowser)","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"list_item","content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"SQLite command-line tools (sqlite3)","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"list_item","content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Python 3.8+ with sqlite3 module","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"list_item","content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Belkasoft Evidence Center or Axiom (commercial)","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"list_item","content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Hex editor (HxD, 010 Editor) for manual page inspection","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"list_item","content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Understanding of B-tree data structures","type":"text"}]}]}]},{"type":"heading","attrs":{"level":2},"content":[{"text":"SQLite Internal Structure","type":"text"}]},{"type":"heading","attrs":{"level":3},"content":[{"text":"Database Header (First 100 Bytes)","type":"text"}]},{"type":"table","attrs":{"layout":null},"content":[{"type":"tr","content":[{"type":"th","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Offset","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"th","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Size","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"th","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Description","type":"text"}]}]}]},{"type":"tr","content":[{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"0","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"16","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Magic string: \"SQLite format 3\\000\"","type":"text"}]}]}]},{"type":"tr","content":[{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"16","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"2","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Page size (512-65536 bytes)","type":"text"}]}]}]},{"type":"tr","content":[{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"18","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"1","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"File format write version","type":"text"}]}]}]},{"type":"tr","content":[{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"19","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"1","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"File format read version","type":"text"}]}]}]},{"type":"tr","content":[{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"24","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"4","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"File change counter","type":"text"}]}]}]},{"type":"tr","content":[{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"28","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"4","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Database size in pages","type":"text"}]}]}]},{"type":"tr","content":[{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"32","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"4","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"First freelist trunk page number","type":"text"}]}]}]},{"type":"tr","content":[{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"36","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"4","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Total freelist pages","type":"text"}]}]}]},{"type":"tr","content":[{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"52","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"4","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Text encoding (1=UTF-8, 2=UTF-16le, 3=UTF-16be)","type":"text"}]}]}]},{"type":"tr","content":[{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"96","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"4","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Version-valid-for number","type":"text"}]}]}]}]},{"type":"heading","attrs":{"level":3},"content":[{"text":"Page Types","type":"text"}]},{"type":"table","attrs":{"layout":null},"content":[{"type":"tr","content":[{"type":"th","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Type","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"th","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"ID","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"th","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Description","type":"text"}]}]}]},{"type":"tr","content":[{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"B-tree Interior","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"0x05","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Internal table node","type":"text"}]}]}]},{"type":"tr","content":[{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"B-tree Leaf","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"0x0D","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Table leaf page containing actual records","type":"text"}]}]}]},{"type":"tr","content":[{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Index Interior","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"0x02","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Internal index node","type":"text"}]}]}]},{"type":"tr","content":[{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Index Leaf","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"0x0A","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Index leaf page","type":"text"}]}]}]},{"type":"tr","content":[{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Freelist Trunk","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"-","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Tracks freed pages","type":"text"}]}]}]},{"type":"tr","content":[{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Freelist Leaf","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"-","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Freed page with recoverable data","type":"text"}]}]}]},{"type":"tr","content":[{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Overflow","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"-","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Continuation of large records","type":"text"}]}]}]}]},{"type":"heading","attrs":{"level":2},"content":[{"text":"Deleted Record Recovery","type":"text"}]},{"type":"heading","attrs":{"level":3},"content":[{"text":"Method 1: Freelist Page Analysis","type":"text"}]},{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"When records are deleted, SQLite may place their pages on the freelist rather than overwriting them immediately.","type":"text"}]},{"type":"code_block","attrs":{"wrap":false,"language":"python"},"content":[{"text":"import struct\nimport sqlite3\nimport os\n\n\ndef analyze_freelist(db_path: str) -> dict:\n \"\"\"Analyze SQLite freelist to identify pages containing deleted data.\"\"\"\n with open(db_path, \"rb\") as f:\n # Read header\n header = f.read(100)\n page_size = struct.unpack(\">H\", header[16:18])[0]\n if page_size == 1:\n page_size = 65536\n first_freelist_page = struct.unpack(\">I\", header[32:36])[0]\n total_freelist_pages = struct.unpack(\">I\", header[36:40])[0]\n\n freelist_info = {\n \"page_size\": page_size,\n \"first_freelist_page\": first_freelist_page,\n \"total_freelist_pages\": total_freelist_pages,\n \"trunk_pages\": [],\n \"leaf_pages\": []\n }\n\n if first_freelist_page == 0:\n return freelist_info\n\n # Walk the freelist trunk chain\n trunk_page = first_freelist_page\n while trunk_page != 0:\n offset = (trunk_page - 1) * page_size\n f.seek(offset)\n page_data = f.read(page_size)\n\n next_trunk = struct.unpack(\">I\", page_data[0:4])[0]\n leaf_count = struct.unpack(\">I\", page_data[4:8])[0]\n\n leaves = []\n for i in range(leaf_count):\n leaf_page = struct.unpack(\">I\", page_data[8 + i * 4:12 + i * 4])[0]\n leaves.append(leaf_page)\n\n freelist_info[\"trunk_pages\"].append({\n \"page_number\": trunk_page,\n \"next_trunk\": next_trunk,\n \"leaf_count\": leaf_count,\n \"leaf_pages\": leaves\n })\n freelist_info[\"leaf_pages\"].extend(leaves)\n trunk_page = next_trunk\n\n return freelist_info\n\n\ndef extract_freelist_content(db_path: str, output_dir: str):\n \"\"\"Extract raw content from freelist pages for analysis.\"\"\"\n info = analyze_freelist(db_path)\n os.makedirs(output_dir, exist_ok=True)\n\n with open(db_path, \"rb\") as f:\n page_size = info[\"page_size\"]\n for page_num in info[\"leaf_pages\"]:\n offset = (page_num - 1) * page_size\n f.seek(offset)\n page_data = f.read(page_size)\n output_file = os.path.join(output_dir, f\"freelist_page_{page_num}.bin\")\n with open(output_file, \"wb\") as out:\n out.write(page_data)\n\n return len(info[\"leaf_pages\"])","type":"text"}]},{"type":"heading","attrs":{"level":3},"content":[{"text":"Method 2: WAL (Write-Ahead Log) Analysis","type":"text"}]},{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"The WAL file contains pending transactions that have not yet been checkpointed back to the main database.","type":"text"}]},{"type":"code_block","attrs":{"wrap":false,"language":"python"},"content":[{"text":"def parse_wal_header(wal_path: str) -> dict:\n \"\"\"Parse SQLite WAL file header and frame inventory.\"\"\"\n with open(wal_path, \"rb\") as f:\n header = f.read(32)\n magic = struct.unpack(\">I\", header[0:4])[0]\n file_format = struct.unpack(\">I\", header[4:8])[0]\n page_size = struct.unpack(\">I\", header[8:12])[0]\n checkpoint_seq = struct.unpack(\">I\", header[12:16])[0]\n salt1 = struct.unpack(\">I\", header[16:20])[0]\n salt2 = struct.unpack(\">I\", header[20:24])[0]\n\n wal_info = {\n \"magic\": hex(magic),\n \"format\": file_format,\n \"page_size\": page_size,\n \"checkpoint_sequence\": checkpoint_seq,\n \"frames\": []\n }\n\n # Parse frames (24-byte header + page_size data each)\n frame_offset = 32\n frame_num = 0\n file_size = os.path.getsize(wal_path)\n\n while frame_offset + 24 + page_size \u003c= file_size:\n f.seek(frame_offset)\n frame_header = f.read(24)\n page_number = struct.unpack(\">I\", frame_header[0:4])[0]\n db_size_after = struct.unpack(\">I\", frame_header[4:8])[0]\n\n wal_info[\"frames\"].append({\n \"frame_number\": frame_num,\n \"page_number\": page_number,\n \"db_size_pages\": db_size_after,\n \"offset\": frame_offset\n })\n frame_offset += 24 + page_size\n frame_num += 1\n\n return wal_info","type":"text"}]},{"type":"heading","attrs":{"level":3},"content":[{"text":"Method 3: Unallocated Space Within Pages","type":"text"}]},{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Deleted cells within active B-tree pages leave data in the unallocated region between the cell pointer array and the cell content area.","type":"text"}]},{"type":"code_block","attrs":{"wrap":false,"language":"python"},"content":[{"text":"def analyze_unallocated_space(db_path: str, page_number: int) -> dict:\n \"\"\"Analyze unallocated space within a specific B-tree page.\"\"\"\n with open(db_path, \"rb\") as f:\n header = f.read(100)\n page_size = struct.unpack(\">H\", header[16:18])[0]\n if page_size == 1:\n page_size = 65536\n\n offset = (page_number - 1) * page_size\n f.seek(offset)\n page_data = f.read(page_size)\n\n # Parse page header (8 or 12 bytes depending on type)\n page_type = page_data[0]\n first_freeblock = struct.unpack(\">H\", page_data[1:3])[0]\n cell_count = struct.unpack(\">H\", page_data[3:5])[0]\n cell_content_offset = struct.unpack(\">H\", page_data[5:7])[0]\n if cell_content_offset == 0:\n cell_content_offset = 65536\n\n header_size = 12 if page_type in (0x02, 0x05) else 8\n cell_pointer_end = header_size + cell_count * 2\n\n unallocated_start = cell_pointer_end\n unallocated_end = cell_content_offset\n unallocated_size = unallocated_end - unallocated_start\n\n return {\n \"page_number\": page_number,\n \"page_type\": hex(page_type),\n \"cell_count\": cell_count,\n \"unallocated_start\": unallocated_start,\n \"unallocated_end\": unallocated_end,\n \"unallocated_size\": unallocated_size,\n \"unallocated_data\": page_data[unallocated_start:unallocated_end].hex()\n }","type":"text"}]},{"type":"heading","attrs":{"level":2},"content":[{"text":"Common Forensic Databases","type":"text"}]},{"type":"table","attrs":{"layout":null},"content":[{"type":"tr","content":[{"type":"th","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Application","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"th","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Database File","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"th","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Key Tables","type":"text"}]}]}]},{"type":"tr","content":[{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Chrome","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"History","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"urls, visits, downloads, keyword_search_terms","type":"text"}]}]}]},{"type":"tr","content":[{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Firefox","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"places.sqlite","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"moz_places, moz_historyvisits","type":"text"}]}]}]},{"type":"tr","content":[{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Safari","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"History.db","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"history_items, history_visits","type":"text"}]}]}]},{"type":"tr","content":[{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"WhatsApp","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"msgstore.db","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"messages, chat_list","type":"text"}]}]}]},{"type":"tr","content":[{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Signal","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"signal.sqlite","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"sms, mms","type":"text"}]}]}]},{"type":"tr","content":[{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"iMessage","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"sms.db","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"message, handle, chat","type":"text"}]}]}]},{"type":"tr","content":[{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Android SMS","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"mmssms.db","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"sms, mms, threads","type":"text"}]}]}]},{"type":"tr","content":[{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Skype","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"main.db","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"td","attrs":{"colspan":1,"rowspan":1,"colwidth":null,"alignment":""},"content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Messages, Conversations","type":"text"}]}]}]}]},{"type":"heading","attrs":{"level":2},"content":[{"text":"Timestamp Decoding","type":"text"}]},{"type":"code_block","attrs":{"wrap":false,"language":"python"},"content":[{"text":"from datetime import datetime, timedelta\n\ndef decode_chrome_timestamp(chrome_ts: int) -> datetime:\n \"\"\"Convert Chrome/WebKit timestamp to datetime (microseconds since 1601-01-01).\"\"\"\n epoch_delta = 11644473600\n return datetime.utcfromtimestamp((chrome_ts / 1000000) - epoch_delta)\n\ndef decode_unix_timestamp(unix_ts: int) -> datetime:\n \"\"\"Convert Unix timestamp to datetime.\"\"\"\n return datetime.utcfromtimestamp(unix_ts)\n\ndef decode_mac_absolute_time(mac_ts: float) -> datetime:\n \"\"\"Convert Mac Absolute Time (seconds since 2001-01-01).\"\"\"\n mac_epoch = datetime(2001, 1, 1)\n return mac_epoch + timedelta(seconds=mac_ts)\n\ndef decode_mozilla_timestamp(moz_ts: int) -> datetime:\n \"\"\"Convert Mozilla PRTime (microseconds since Unix epoch).\"\"\"\n return datetime.utcfromtimestamp(moz_ts / 1000000)","type":"text"}]},{"type":"heading","attrs":{"level":2},"content":[{"text":"References","type":"text"}]},{"type":"bullet_list","content":[{"type":"list_item","content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"SQLite File Format: https://www.sqlite.org/fileformat2.html","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"list_item","content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Belkasoft SQLite Analysis: https://belkasoft.com/sqlite-analysis","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"list_item","content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Spyder Forensics SQLite Training: https://www.spyderforensics.com/sqlite-forensic-fundamentals-2025/","type":"text"}]}]},{"type":"list_item","content":[{"type":"paragraph","content":[{"text":"Forensic Analysis of Damaged SQLite Databases: https://www.forensicfocus.com/articles/forensic-analysis-of-damaged-sqlite-databases/","type":"text"}]}]}]},{"type":"heading","attrs":{"level":2},"content":[{"text":"Example Output","type":"text"}]},{"type":"code_block","attrs":{"wrap":false,"language":"text"},"content":[{"text":"$ python3 sqlite_forensics.py --db /evidence/chrome/Default/History \\\n --wal /evidence/chrome/Default/History-wal \\\n --journal /evidence/chrome/Default/History-journal \\\n --output /analysis/sqlite_report\n\nSQLite Database Forensic Analyzer v2.0\n========================================\nDatabase: /evidence/chrome/Default/History\nSize: 48.2 MB\nSQLite Ver: 3.39.5\nPage Size: 4096 bytes\nTotal Pages: 12,345\nEncoding: UTF-8\n\n[+] Analyzing WAL (Write-Ahead Log)...\n WAL file: History-wal (2.1 MB)\n WAL frames: 512\n Checkpointed: No (contains uncommitted data)\n Recoverable rows from WAL: 234\n\n[+] Analyzing journal file...\n Journal file: History-journal (0 bytes - rolled back)\n\n[+] Scanning for deleted records (freelist pages)...\n Freelist pages: 456\n Deleted records recovered: 1,892\n\n[+] Analyzing table: urls\n Active rows: 12,456\n Deleted rows: 1,234 (recovered from freelist)\n WAL-only rows: 89\n\n--- Recovered Deleted URLs (Last 10) ---\nRow ID | URL | Title | Visit Count | Last Visit (UTC)\n-------|--------------------------------------------------|--------------------------|-------------|---------------------\n89234 | https://mega.nz/folder/xYz123#key=AbCdEf | MEGA | 5 | 2024-01-16 03:20:00\n89235 | https://transfer.sh/abc123/data.7z | transfer.sh | 1 | 2024-01-16 03:25:00\n89240 | https://temp-mail.org/en/ | Temp Mail | 3 | 2024-01-15 13:00:00\n89241 | https://browserleaks.com/ip | IP Leak Test | 1 | 2024-01-15 12:55:00\n89245 | https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/a1b2c3... | VirusTotal | 2 | 2024-01-15 14:30:00\n89250 | https://github.com/gentilkiwi/mimikatz/releases | Mimikatz Releases | 1 | 2024-01-15 16:00:00\n89260 | https://raw.githubusercontent.com/.../payload.ps1| GitHub Raw | 1 | 2024-01-15 14:34:00\n89270 | https://pastebin.com/edit/kL9mN2pQ | Pastebin - Edit | 2 | 2024-01-15 14:42:00\n89280 | https://duckduckgo.com/?q=clear+browser+history | DuckDuckGo | 1 | 2024-01-17 22:00:00\n89285 | https://duckduckgo.com/?q=anti+forensics+tools | DuckDuckGo | 1 | 2024-01-17 22:05:00\n\n[+] Analyzing table: downloads\n Active rows: 234\n Deleted rows: 12 (recovered)\n\n--- Recovered Deleted Downloads ---\nRow ID | Filename | URL | Size | Start Time (UTC)\n-------|------------------------|----------------------------------------|-----------|---------------------\n5012 | payload.ps1 | https://raw.githubusercontent.com/... | 4,096 | 2024-01-15 14:34:00\n5015 | mimikatz_trunk.zip | https://github.com/.../releases/... | 1,892,352 | 2024-01-15 16:00:00\n5018 | netscan_portable.zip | https://www.softperfect.com/... | 5,242,880 | 2024-01-15 15:05:00\n\n[+] Slack space analysis...\n Pages with slack space data: 234\n Partial strings recovered: 67 fragments\n\nSummary:\n Total records analyzed: 14,578 (active) + 3,126 (deleted/WAL)\n Evidence-relevant URLs: 23 (flagged)\n Deleted downloads: 12 (3 tool-related)\n Anti-forensics evidence: Browser history deletion detected\n Report: /analysis/sqlite_report/sqlite_forensics.json\n Recovered DB: 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Performing SQLite Database Forensics Overview SQLite is the most widely deployed database engine in the world, used by virtually every mobile application, web browser, and many desktop applications to store user data. In digital forensics, SQLite databases are critical evidence sources containing browser history, messaging records, call logs, GPS locations, application preferences, and cached content. Forensic analysis goes beyond simple SQL queries to examine the internal B-tree page structures, freelist pages containing deleted records, Write-Ahead Log (WAL) files preserving transaction his…