Artefactos forenses de macOS
Una página por artefacto: dónde está en cada versión de macOS, qué prueba, cómo funcionan sus marcas de tiempo, cuánto se conserva y cómo adquirirlo y analizarlo con herramientas de código abierto.
Los artefactos más usados están traducidos. Las entradas marcadas «Inglés» abren la página en inglés.
Ejecución
Crash Reports: macOS DiagnosticReports (.ips)Inglés
macOS crash and diagnostic reports record which binary crashed, its path, parent, signing identity, launch and crash time, even for malware.
/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/
Evidencias de Gatekeeper y XProtect en macOS
Gatekeeper, XProtect y XProtect Remediator dejan entradas de log y bases de datos que muestran qué código se evaluó, aprobó, marcó o eliminó.
/var/db/SystemPolicyConfiguration/ExecPolicy
Historial de shell en macOS: zsh, bash y sesiones Terminal
Historial de shell de macOS en .zsh_history, .bash_history y las sesiones de Terminal por ventana: qué comandos tecleó un usuario y cuándo, aproximadamente.
~/.zsh_history
InstallHistory.plist: macOS Software Install LogInglés
InstallHistory.plist and the package receipt database show which apps, packages and system updates were installed on a Mac, by which process and when.
/Library/Receipts/InstallHistory.plist
Mounted Disk Images on macOS: DMG, ISO and App TranslocationInglés
How to prove a DMG or ISO was downloaded, mounted and used on a Mac: quarantine, Unified Logs, FSEvents, App Translocation paths and Spotlight.
/Volumes/<name>/ (mount point), plus logs and per-user caches
sudo Logs: macOS Privilege Escalation EvidenceInglés
sudo events in macOS Unified Logs, the sudoers configuration and the /var/db/sudo timestamp files show who ran which commands as root, and when.
/private/var/db/diagnostics/
TCC.db: permisos de privacidad concedidos en macOS
Las bases TCC de macOS registran qué apps obtuvieron o no acceso a cámara, micrófono, pantalla, disco y automatización, y cuándo cambió por última vez.
/Library/Application Support/com.apple.TCC/TCC.db
Persistencia
Configuration Profiles and MDM: macOS Managed SettingsInglés
macOS configuration profiles and MDM enrollment records show which policies, certificates, VPNs, TCC grants and extensions were pushed to a Mac, and when.
/private/var/db/ConfigurationProfiles/
cron, at and periodic: macOS Scheduled Job PersistenceInglés
Legacy macOS schedulers (cron tabs, at jobs, periodic scripts, emond rules): where they live, which versions still run them and how to spot abuse.
/usr/lib/cron/tabs/
Ítems de inicio y base de datos BTM en macOS
Los ítems de inicio y el almacén Background Task Management (Ventura+) listan ítems, agentes y daemons con desarrollador, team ID y estado de aprobación.
/private/var/db/com.apple.backgroundtaskmanagement/BackgroundItems-v*.btm
Kernel and System Extensions: macOS kext EvidenceInglés
Kernel extensions and system extensions on macOS: KextPolicy load history, the SystemExtensions database and what they show about drivers, EDR and rootkits.
/Library/SystemExtensions/db.plist and /private/var/db/SystemPolicyConfiguration/KextPolicy
LaunchAgents y LaunchDaemons: persistencia en macOS
Los plists de launchd en LaunchAgents y LaunchDaemons definen qué inicia macOS al arrancar, al iniciar sesión o con horario: el principal punto de persistencia.
~/Library/LaunchAgents, /Library/LaunchAgents, /Library/LaunchDaemons
Acceso a archivos
Cloud Storage Clients on Mac: Dropbox, Drive, OneDriveInglés
Dropbox, Google Drive and OneDrive on macOS keep sync databases, logs and File Provider folders that show which files were synced, shared or uploaded.
~/Library/CloudStorage/ plus each client's Application Support, Group Container and log folders
CUPS Print Jobs and Logs: macOS Printing ForensicsInglés
macOS prints through CUPS: spool control files, page_log and access_log show which documents were printed, by whom, on which printer and when.
/private/var/spool/cups/ and /private/var/log/cups/
FSEvents (.fseventsd): cambios del sistema de archivos
Logs gzip por volumen escritos por fseventsd: rutas creadas, modificadas, renombradas y borradas, a menudo la única huella de un archivo eliminado.
/System/Volumes/Data/.fseventsd/
iCloud Drive (CloudDocs): macOS Sync Folders and DatabasesInglés
iCloud Drive local folders and the CloudDocs client.db and server.db databases that list synced files, versions and the devices that wrote them.
~/Library/Application Support/CloudDocs/session/db/client.db
Marcas de tiempo APFS y snapshots locales en macOS
Marcas de tiempo APFS en nanosegundos, Date Added de directorio y snapshots locales de Time Machine: la base de las líneas de tiempo y la recuperación en macOS.
/System/Volumes/Data
Microsoft Office and Outlook for Mac: MRU and Mailbox DataInglés
Office for Mac keeps recent-file lists in securebookmarks plists and MicrosoftRegistrationDB.reg; Outlook for Mac stores mail in a local profile database.
~/Library/Containers/com.microsoft.<App>/ and ~/Library/Group Containers/UBF8T346G9.Office/
Photos.sqlite: macOS Photos Library MetadataInglés
Photos.sqlite in the macOS Photos library records each photo and video with capture time, location, import source, trash state and original filename.
~/Pictures/Photos Library.photoslibrary/database/Photos.sqlite
QuarantineEventsV2 y xattr de cuarentena en macOS
QuarantineEventsV2 y el atributo com.apple.quarantine registran qué se descargó, desde qué URL, con qué app y cuándo, a menudo aunque el archivo ya no exista.
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.LaunchServices.QuarantineEventsV2
QuickLook Thumbnail Cache: macOS File Preview EvidenceInglés
The QuickLook thumbnail cache (index.sqlite and thumbnails.data) records files previewed in Finder, with paths, hit counts and cached images.
$(getconf DARWIN_USER_CACHE_DIR)/com.apple.quicklook.ThumbnailsAgent/com.apple.QuickLook.thumbnailcache/
Recent Items (.sfl2/.sfl3): macOS Shared File ListsInglés
sharedfilelistd lists of recent documents, apps, servers and per-app Open Recent entries, stored as NSKeyedArchiver plists with bookmarks.
~/Library/Application Support/com.apple.sharedfilelist/
Spotlight Store (.Spotlight-V100): macOS Metadata IndexInglés
Per-volume Spotlight index and per-user CoreSpotlight stores holding file metadata such as download origin, last used date and use count.
/System/Volumes/Data/.Spotlight-V100/Store-V2/<UUID>/store.db
Time Machine Backups: macOS Configuration and HistoryInglés
Time Machine settings, destinations and backup sets on HFS+ and APFS disks: a source of older file versions and proof of when backups ran.
/Library/Preferences/com.apple.TimeMachine.plist
Actividad del usuario
Apple Mail: Envelope Index and EMLX on macOSInglés
Apple Mail keeps message metadata in the Envelope Index SQLite database and each message as an .emlx file, showing email sent, received and opened.
~/Library/Mail/V10/MailData/Envelope Index
Apple Notes NoteStore.sqlite: macOS Notes ForensicsInglés
NoteStore.sqlite holds Apple Notes on macOS: note text as compressed protobuf, folders, accounts, attachments, locked notes and Recently Deleted items.
~/Library/Group Containers/group.com.apple.notes/NoteStore.sqlite
Calendar, Contacts and Reminders Databases on macOSInglés
Where macOS stores Calendar events, Contacts (AddressBook .abcddb) and Reminders, and what they show about meetings, relationships and tasks.
~/Library/Application Support/AddressBook/, ~/Library/Group Containers/group.com.apple.reminders/, ~/Library/Calendars/ or group.com.apple.calendar
Chrome and Firefox History on macOSInglés
Chrome History and Firefox places.sqlite on macOS: paths, profiles, key tables and epochs to rebuild visits and downloads outside Safari.
~/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default/History
Dock and Finder Plists: macOS User Preference EvidenceInglés
com.apple.dock.plist and com.apple.finder.plist record pinned and recent apps, recent folders, Go to Folder history, servers and searches.
~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist
dslocal User Accounts: macOS Local Users and GroupsInglés
dslocal plists define every local macOS account and group, with creation, password-change and failed-login times that expose rogue or hidden accounts.
/private/var/db/dslocal/nodes/Default/users/<name>.plist
Flujos Biome SEGB: foco y actividad de apps en macOS
Biome guarda flujos de actividad de macOS como App.InFocus en archivos SEGB con registros protobuf, el relevo de muchos flujos de knowledgeC.db.
~/Library/Biome/streams/restricted/<Stream>/local/
knowledgeC.db: uso de apps y actividad del Mac
Base de datos SQLite de CoreDuet que registra uso de apps, foco, pantalla y alimentación en macOS: muestra cuándo y cuánto tiempo se usó cada app.
/private/var/db/CoreDuet/Knowledge/knowledgeC.db
macOS Keychain Files: Metadata for ForensicsInglés
macOS keychains store credentials, keys and certificates; their metadata shows which accounts, services and certificates existed and when items changed.
~/Library/Keychains/
Messages chat.db: macOS iMessage and SMS HistoryInglés
chat.db is the macOS Messages SQLite database of iMessage, SMS and RCS conversations, participants, attachments and recently deleted messages.
~/Library/Messages/chat.db
Notification Center Database: macOS Notification HistoryInglés
The usernoted SQLite database keeps delivered macOS notifications with app, title, body and time, often preserving message text from other apps.
~/Library/Group Containers/group.com.apple.usernoted/db2/db
Safari History.db: historial de navegación en macOS
History.db de Safari, bases de datos de perfiles, Downloads.plist y almacenes de pestañas en macOS: qué páginas visitó un usuario, cuándo y qué se borró.
~/Library/Safari/History.db
Saved Application State: macOS Window and Terminal HistoryInglés
macOS Saved Application State (.savedState) restores windows at relaunch and keeps window titles, open documents and even Terminal scrollback text.
~/Library/Saved Application State/<bundle-id>.savedState/
Screen Time Databases: macOS App Usage TotalsInglés
ScreenTimeAgent RMAdminStore databases on macOS hold per-app and per-domain usage totals, pickups and notification counts per device and user.
/private/var/folders/<xx>/<id>/0/com.apple.ScreenTimeAgent/Store/
Red
netusage.sqlite: macOS Per-Process Network UsageInglés
netusage.sqlite records which processes used the network on a Mac, with first and last seen times and bytes over Wi-Fi, wired and cellular links.
/private/var/networkd/db/netusage.sqlite
Screen Sharing and Apple Remote Desktop ArtifactsInglés
macOS Screen Sharing and Apple Remote Desktop leave connection history, screensharingd log events and ARD caches that show remote control of a Mac.
/private/var/db/RemoteManagement/ and ~/Library/Containers/com.apple.ScreenSharing/
SSH and Remote Login on macOS: Keys, Hosts and LogsInglés
macOS Remote Login (sshd) leaves authorized_keys, known_hosts, sshd configuration and Unified Log events that show inbound and outbound SSH activity.
~/.ssh/ and /private/etc/ssh/
Wi-Fi Known Networks on macOS: Plists and LogsInglés
macOS known Wi-Fi networks in com.apple.wifi.known-networks.plist, airport preferences, wifi.log and Unified Logs: where a Mac has connected, and when.
/Library/Preferences/com.apple.wifi.known-networks.plist
USB y dispositivos
Bluetooth Devices on macOS: Paired and SeenInglés
macOS Bluetooth artifacts: com.apple.Bluetooth.plist, MobileBluetooth device plist and LE databases, and bluetoothd logs to show which devices paired and when.
/Library/Bluetooth/Library/Preferences/com.apple.MobileBluetooth.devices.plist
iPhone Backups and Pairing Records on a MacInglés
Finder (MobileSync) backups of iPhones and iPads on a Mac, plus lockdown pairing records, show which iOS devices were connected, trusted and backed up.
~/Library/Application Support/MobileSync/Backup/<UDID>/
USB Devices: macOS Removable Media HistoryInglés
macOS keeps no USB registry: rebuild removable media history from Unified Logs, DiskArbitration mounts, FSEvents, Spotlight and the device itself.
/private/var/db/diagnostics/
Antiforense
macOS Trash and .DS_Store: Deleted File EvidenceInglés
The macOS Trash keeps deleted files with their original location in .DS_Store put-back records, showing what a user deleted, from where and when.
~/.Trash/ and /Volumes/<volume>/.Trashes/<uid>/
Registros
System Logs: macOS /var/log Text and ASL FilesInglés
The flat log files that survive on macOS (install.log, system.log, wifi.log, ASL stores) and how syslogd, aslmanager and newsyslog rotate them.
/private/var/log/
Unified Logs: registro del sistema tracev3 en macOS
Los Unified Logs de macOS (tracev3 y uuidtext) registran inicios de sesión, sudo, TCC, Gatekeeper, instalaciones y dispositivos con precisión de subsegundo.
/private/var/db/diagnostics/