FastIR Collector Linux
A live forensics tool for Linux that collects system artifacts and logs them to CSV files for compromise detection.
What is FastIR Collector Linux?
FastIR Collector Linux is a live forensics tool that collects system artifacts from running Linux machines and logs them to CSV files. It helps security analysts detect early signs of compromise by analyzing gathered data like kernel information, user activities, and system configurations. The tool requires root access to ensure comprehensive data collection across the system.
Incident responders, forensic analysts, and security professionals who need to perform live forensics on Linux systems during security investigations.
It provides a lightweight, scriptable approach to artifact collection with structured CSV output, enabling easy integration into automated analysis workflows compared to more complex forensic suites.
Overview
FastIR Collector Linux is a live forensics acquisition tool designed to gather various system artifacts from a running Linux machine. It records findings in CSV files, enabling analysts to detect early signs of compromise through artifact analysis. The tool must be executed with root privileges to access necessary system data.
Key Features
- System Information Collection — Gathers kernel version, modules, network interfaces, hostname, and distribution details.
- User and Login Analysis — Captures last logins, user data, hidden files in profiles, and SSH known_hosts files.
- System Activity Monitoring — Collects connection data, open handles, and /tmp directory contents.
- Autorun Detection — Scans /etc/*.d directories, crontab, and cron schedules for persistence mechanisms.
- Disk and Filesystem Insights — Lists partitions, MBR data, and filesystem information for forensic examination.
Philosophy
FastIR Collector Linux emphasizes simplicity and scriptability by outputting structured CSV data, making it suitable for automated analysis pipelines in incident response scenarios.
Use Cases
Best For
- Performing live forensics on potentially compromised Linux servers
- Collecting system artifacts for incident response investigations
- Automating security data gathering in Linux environments
- Detecting persistence mechanisms like cron jobs and autoruns
- Analyzing user activities and system configurations post-incident
- Educational purposes in digital forensics and incident response training
Not Ideal For
- Teams requiring actively maintained forensic tools with ongoing updates
- Environments where Python 3 is mandatory or modern dependencies are needed
- Investigations needing real-time, interactive analysis interfaces beyond CSV output
- Projects requiring advanced forensic features like memory analysis or network packet capture
Pros & Cons
Pros
Logs all findings in CSV files, enabling easy parsing and integration into automated analysis pipelines, as emphasized in the README for scriptability.
Collects a wide range of system artifacts including kernel info, user data, autoruns, and disk details, making it useful for detecting early compromise signs.
Designed as a single Python 2 file with a focus on simplicity, allowing quick deployment and execution in live forensics scenarios.
Built to run with root privileges, ensuring thorough data collection from protected system areas without permission issues.
Cons
The README explicitly states it is no longer maintained and recommends using a new tool, making it risky for production use due to lack of fixes or updates.
Relies on Python 2 starting from version 2.4, which is end-of-life, insecure, and incompatible with modern systems and libraries.
The README is minimal and primarily redirects to a new project, offering little guidance on advanced usage or troubleshooting.
Frequently Asked Questions
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