Build comprehensive forensic super-timelines using Plaso (log2timeline) to correlate events across file systems, logs, and artifacts into a unified chronological view.
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Build comprehensive forensic super-timelines using Plaso (log2timeline) to correlate events across file systems, logs, and artifacts into a unified chronological view.
Vendored verbatim from an external Apache-2.0 security-skill library, pinned by commit. Exceeds the internal 300-line skill guideline (agent-code-constraints.md) -- kept as-is because this is vendored reference material (forensics/threat-intel procedure), not Yana AI-authored content, and trimming would damage technical accuracy.
Performing Timeline Reconstruction with Plaso
When to Use
When building a comprehensive forensic timeline from multiple evidence sources
For correlating events across file system metadata, event logs, browser history, and registry
During complex investigations requiring chronological reconstruction of activities
When standard log analysis is insufficient to establish the sequence of events
For presenting investigation findings in a visual, chronological format
Prerequisites
Plaso (log2timeline/psort) installed on forensic workstation
Forensic disk image(s) in raw (dd), E01, or VMDK format
Sufficient storage for Plaso output (can be 10x+ the image size)
Minimum 8GB RAM (16GB+ recommended for large images)
Timeline Explorer (Eric Zimmerman) or Timesketch for visualization
Understanding of timestamp types (MACB: Modified, Accessed, Changed, Born)
Workflow
Step 1: Install Plaso and Prepare the Environment
# Install Plaso on Ubuntu/Debiansudo add-apt-repository ppa:gift/stable
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install plaso-tools
# Or install via pip
pip install plaso
# Or use Docker (recommended for dependency isolation)
docker pull log2timeline/plaso
# Verify installation
log2timeline.py --version
psort.py --version
# Create output directorymkdir -p /cases/case-2024-001/timeline/
# Verify the forensic image
img_stat /cases/case-2024-001/images/evidence.dd
Step 2: Generate the Plaso Storage File with log2timeline
# Basic processing of a disk image (all parsers)
log2timeline.py \
--storage-file /cases/case-2024-001/timeline/evidence.plaso \
/cases/case-2024-001/images/evidence.dd
# Process with specific parsers for faster targeted analysis
log2timeline.py \
--parsers "winevtx,prefetch,mft,usnjrnl,lnk,recycle_bin,chrome_history,firefox_history,winreg" \
--storage-file /cases/case-2024-001/timeline/evidence.plaso \
/cases/case-2024-001/images/evidence.dd
# Process with a filter file to focus on specific pathscat << 'EOF' > /cases/case-2024-001/timeline/filter.txt
/Windows/System32/winevt/Logs
/Windows/Prefetch
/Users/*/NTUSER.DAT
/Users/*/AppData/Local/Google/Chrome
/Users/*/AppData/Roaming/Mozilla/Firefox
/
/:
/Windows/System32/config
EOF
log2timeline.py \
--filter-file /cases/case-2024-001/timeline/filter.txt \
--storage-file /cases/case-2024-001/timeline/evidence.plaso \
/cases/case-2024-001/images/evidence.dd
docker run -- -v /cases:/cases log2timeline/plaso log2timeline \
--storage-file /cases/case-2024-001/timeline/evidence.plaso \
/cases/case-2024-001/images/evidence.dd
log2timeline.py \
--storage-file /cases/case-2024-001/timeline/combined.plaso \
/cases/case-2024-001/images/workstation.dd
log2timeline.py \
--storage-file /cases/case-2024-001/timeline/combined.plaso \
/cases/case-2024-001/images/server.dd
$MFT
$UsnJrnl
$J
# Using Docker
rm
# Process multiple evidence sources into one timeline
Step 3: Filter and Export Timeline with psort
# Export full timeline to CSV (super-timeline format)
psort.py \
-o l2tcsv \
-w /cases/case-2024-001/timeline/full_timeline.csv \
/cases/case-2024-001/timeline/evidence.plaso
# Export with date range filter (focus on incident window)
psort.py \
-o l2tcsv \
-w /cases/case-2024-001/timeline/incident_window.csv \
/cases/case-2024-001/timeline/evidence.plaso \
"date > '2024-01-15 00:00:00' AND date < '2024-01-20 23:59:59'"# Export in JSON Lines format (for ingestion into SIEM/Timesketch)
psort.py \
-o json_line \
-w /cases/case-2024-001/timeline/timeline.jsonl \
/cases/case-2024-001/timeline/evidence.plaso
# Export with specific source type filters
psort.py \
-o l2tcsv \
-w /cases/case-2024-001/timeline/registry_events.csv \
/cases/case-2024-001/timeline/evidence.plaso \
"source_short == 'REG'"
psort.py \
-o l2tcsv \
-w /cases/case-2024-001/timeline/evtx_events.csv \
/cases/case-2024-001/timeline/evidence.plaso \
"source_short == 'EVT'"# Export for Timeline Explorer (dynamic CSV)
psort.py \
-o dynamic \
-w /cases/case-2024-001/timeline/timeline_explorer.csv \
/cases/case-2024-001/timeline/evidence.plaso
Step 4: Analyze Timeline with Timesketch
# Install Timesketch (Docker deployment)
git clone https://github.com/google/timesketch.git
cd timesketch
docker compose up -d
# Import Plaso file into Timesketch via CLI
timesketch_importer \
--host http://localhost:5000 \
--username analyst \
--password password \
--sketch_id 1 \
--timeline_name "Case 2024-001 Workstation" \
/cases/case-2024-001/timeline/evidence.plaso
# Alternatively, import JSONL
timesketch_importer \
--host http://localhost:5000 \
--username analyst \
--sketch_id 1 \
--timeline_name "Case 2024-001" \
/cases/case-2024-001/timeline/timeline.jsonl
# In Timesketch web UI:# 1. Search for events: "data_type:windows:evtx:record AND event_identifier:4624"# 2. Apply Sigma analyzers for automated detection# 3. Star/tag important events# 4. Create stories documenting the investigation narrative# 5. Share with team members
Step 5: Perform Targeted Timeline Analysis
# Analyze specific time periods around known events
python3 << 'PYEOF'
import csv
from collections import defaultdict
from datetime import datetime
# Load incident window timeline
events_by_hour = defaultdict(list)
source_counts = defaultdict(int)
with open('/cases/case-2024-001/timeline/incident_window.csv', 'r', errors='ignore') as f:
reader = csv.DictReader(f)
total = 0
for row in reader:
total += 1
timestamp = row.get('datetime', row.get('date', ''))
source = row.get('source_short', row.get('source', 'Unknown'))
description = row.get('message', row.get('desc', ''))
source_counts[source] += 1
# Group by hour for activity patterns
try:
dt = datetime.strptime(timestamp[:19], '%Y-%m-%dT%H:%M:%S')
hour_key = dt.strftime('%Y-%m-%d %H:00')
events_by_hour[hour_key].append({
'time': timestamp,
'source': source,
'description': description[:200]
})
except (ValueError, TypeError):
pass
print(f"Total events in incident window: {total}\n")
print("=== EVENTS BY SOURCE TYPE ===")
forsource, count in sorted(source_counts.items(), key=lambda x: x[1], reverse=True):
print(f" {source}: {count}")
print("\n=== ACTIVITY BY HOUR ===")
for hour in sorted(events_by_hour.keys()):
count = len(events_by_hour[hour])
bar = '#' * min(count // 10, 50)
print(f" {hour}: {count:>6} events {bar}")
# Find hours with unusual activity spikes
avg = total / max(len(events_by_hour), 1)
print(f"\n=== ANOMALOUS HOURS (>{avg*3:.0f} events) ===")
for hour in sorted(events_by_hour.keys()):
if len(events_by_hour[hour]) > avg * 3:
print(f" {hour}: {len(events_by_hour[hour])} events (SPIKE)")
PYEOF
Key Concepts
Concept
Description
Super-timeline
Unified chronological view combining all artifact timestamps from multiple sources
MACB timestamps
Modified, Accessed, Changed (metadata), Born (created) - four key file timestamp types
Plaso storage file
SQLite-based intermediate format storing parsed events before export
L2T CSV
Log2timeline CSV format with standardized columns for timeline events
Parser
Plaso module extracting timestamps from a specific artifact type (e.g., winevtx, prefetch)
Psort
Plaso sorting and filtering tool for post-processing storage files
Timesketch
Google open-source collaborative timeline analysis platform
Pivot points
Known timestamps (e.g., malware execution) used to focus investigation scope
Eric Zimmerman's Windows GUI for CSV timeline analysis
KAPE
Automated triage collection feeding into Plaso processing
mactime (TSK)
Simpler timeline generation from Sleuth Kit bodyfiles
Excel/Sheets
Manual timeline review for small filtered datasets
Elastic/Kibana
Alternative visualization platform for JSONL timeline data
Common Scenarios
Scenario 1: Ransomware Attack Reconstruction
Process the full disk image with Plaso, filter to the week before encryption was discovered, identify the initial access vector from browser history and event logs, trace privilege escalation through registry and Prefetch, map lateral movement from network logon events, pinpoint encryption start from MFT timestamps showing mass file modifications.
Scenario 2: Data Theft Investigation
Create super-timeline from suspect's workstation, filter for USB device connection events, file access timestamps, and cloud storage browser activity, build a narrative showing data staging, compression, and exfiltration, present timeline to legal team with tagged evidence points.
Scenario 3: Multi-System Breach Analysis
Process disk images from all affected systems into a single Plaso storage file, import into Timesketch for collaborative analysis, search for lateral movement patterns across system timelines, identify the patient-zero system and initial compromise vector, map the full attack chain across the environment.
Scenario 4: Insider Threat After-Hours Activity
Filter timeline to non-business hours only, identify file access patterns outside normal working times, correlate with authentication events (badge access, VPN logon), search for data access to sensitive directories during these periods, build evidence package for HR/legal.
