Linux Host Forensics

Correlate Linux user, authentication, persistence, and execution artifacts for compromise indicators.

1|Updated Apr 25, 2026
One-click install
npx skills add https://github.com/rjonhaas/SIFTics --skill linux-host-forensics
Or copy as Structured Prompt for Agent
Please help me install this Agent Skill.
Skill: Linux Host Forensics
Source: https://github.com/rjonhaas/SIFTics/tree/main/skills/linux-host
Command: npx skills add https://github.com/rjonhaas/SIFTics --skill linux-host-forensics

SYSTEM DOCUMENTATION & REQUIREMENTS

What problem does it solve?

Helps incident responders rapidly identify persistence, privilege-escalation vectors, and evidence of compromise on live or imaged Linux/Unix endpoints, even when attackers attempt anti-forensics such as clearing command history.

Core Features & Use Cases

  • Local account and authentication triage: Reviews /etc/passwd, /etc/shadow, and SSH/auth logs to surface suspicious UID-0 accounts, weak or altered password data, and successful/failed login patterns.
  • Persistence and execution trace discovery: Enumerates cron, systemd units, rc.local, and user shell profiles, then correlates them with bash history patterns for download/execute chains.
  • Host compromise indicators and escalation paths: Checks for staged malware in /tmp, /dev/shm, /var/tmp, validates SUID/SGID binaries, inspects kernel modules, and optionally mines auditd for privilege escalation and sensitive access.

Quick Start

Use the skill with your mounted case evidence by setting CASE_ROOT to the Linux evidence root path and running the skill’s execution workflow to generate the analysis outputs under ./analysis/linux.

Frequently Asked Questions about Linux Host Forensics

High-intent search queries and answers about installing and using this skill.

FAQPage Schema
How do I investigate Linux persistence mechanisms during incident response?

To investigate Linux persistence, the skill enumerates cron jobs, systemd units, rc.local, and shell profiles, correlating them with bash history to discover download and execute chains used by attackers.

What is the best way to triage Linux host compromise indicators from auth.log and syslog?

Triageing Linux host compromise involves reviewing /etc/passwd, /etc/shadow, and auth logs to surface suspicious UID-0 accounts, altered password data, and anomalous login patterns indicating credential access.

How do I find privilege escalation vectors on a compromised Linux endpoint?

Finding Linux privilege escalation vectors requires checking staged malware in /tmp, /dev/shm, and /var/tmp, validating SUID/SGID binaries, inspecting kernel modules, and optionally mining auditd logs.

Can I run Linux forensics analysis on an imaged filesystem without auditd logs?

Yes, you can perform Linux forensics on an imaged filesystem without auditd logs by setting the case evidence root path; auditd is optional, while filesystem artifacts and syslog provide baseline triage.

What do I need to set up before analyzing Linux host forensic evidence?

You need to mount your case evidence and set the CASE_ROOT variable to the Linux evidence root path, ensuring the evidence includes filesystem artifacts, syslog, auth.log, and bash history for analysis.