Unique file identification in the National Software Reference Library

Abstract

The National Software Reference Library (NSRL) provides a repository of known software, file profiles, and file signatures for use by law enforcement and other organizations involved with computer forensic investigations. During a forensic investigation, hundreds of thousands of files may be encountered. The NSRL is used to identify known files. This can reduce the amount of time spent examining a computer. Matches for common operating systems and applications do not need to be searched, either manually or electronically, for evidence. Additionally, the NSRL is used to determine which software applications are present on a system. This may suggest how the computer was being used and provide information on how and where to search for evidence. This paper examines whether the techniques used to create file signatures in the NSRL produce unique results-a core characteristic that the NSRL depends on for the majority of its uses. The uniqueness of the file identification is analyzed via two methods: an empirical analysis of the file signatures within the NSRL and research into the recent attacks on the hash algorithms used to generate the file signatures within the NSRL.