Linux Syslog
Plain-text system event log written by rsyslog or syslog-ng, recording kernel messages, daemon output, cron jobs, and (on older distros) authentication events. Standard format on Debian/Ubuntu and RHEL/CentOS systems without journald-only logging.
Where to find it
Default filesystem paths and registry locations. Collect these with your preferred live-response or disk-image tooling.
- $/var/log/syslog
- $/var/log/messages
- $/var/log/syslog.1
- $/var/log/syslog.*.gz
Forensic significance
Common scenarios in which this artifact becomes decisive evidence.
- Detecting kernel-level anomalies (OOM, segfaults, USB attach events)
- Tracing daemon failures around the time of a known incident
- Correlating cron job execution with file modifications
- Spotting log gaps that suggest tampering or anti-forensic activity
MITRE ATT&CK mapping
Techniques this artifact can help detect or substantiate. Click a technique to view the official MITRE entry.
Tools that parse it
unJaena AI and other DFIR tools commonly used to extract evidence from this artifact.
Related artifacts
systemd Journal (journald)
Binary, structured, indexed log store written by systemd-journald. Contains kernel ring buffer, dmesg, all unit (service) output, and authenticated metadata such as UID, GID, PID, command line, and SELinux context for every entry.
Linux Auth Log
Authentication and authorization events emitted by PAM-aware services — sshd logins, sudo invocations, su attempts, screen unlocks, and polkit decisions. The first place to look when scoping a Linux compromise.
Linux Cron & Scheduler Artifacts
Time-based job scheduler configuration (system and per-user crontabs, drop-in directories) plus the execution log written by cron/anacron. Key artifact for persistence detection on Linux servers.
RecentDocs
Explorer tracks recently opened files per extension in HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RecentDocs, including files on removed storage.
References & further reading
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