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USB & External Device Forensics - SOC Analyst Cheatsheet

Practical Guide for USB Device Investigation & Data Exfiltration

Quick Reference: USB Artifacts Matrix

Artifact
What It Reveals
Location
Volatility
Key Value

USBSTOR

Device identity

SYSTEM hive

Persistent

Vendor, product, serial

MountPoints2

User attribution

NTUSER.DAT

Persistent

Which user accessed device

Timestamps

Connection times

SYSTEM hive, setupapi.dev.log

Medium

First/last connect, removal

Volume Serial Number

Device-to-file linking

Event 1006, EMDMgmt

Medium

Critical for LNK correlation

Drive Letters

Mount points

MountedDevices

Last only

Historical not available

Investigation Priority Matrix

Priority
Artifact
Best For
Key Value

CRITICAL

USBSTOR + USB

Device identification

Vendor, product, serial number

CRITICAL

Volume Serial Number

File access correlation

Links USB to LNK files

CRITICAL

MountPoints2

User attribution

Which user accessed USB

HIGH

Connection Timestamps

Timeline construction

First/last connection times

MEDIUM

Drive Letters

Current mapping

Drive letter assignments

Core Investigation Questions

Primary Questions:

  1. What devices connected? (USBSTOR - Device identification)

  2. When did they connect? (Timestamps - Timeline)

  3. Who accessed them? (MountPoints2 - User attribution)

  4. What files were accessed? (VSN + LNK files - File correlation)

The Critical Link:

Volume Serial Number (VSN) is the KEY to linking USB devices to file access via LNK files!

Understanding USB Forensics Components

Key Concept: Multiple Serial Numbers

DO NOT CONFUSE:

Serial Number Type
What It Is
Where Found
Purpose

USB Unique Serial

Device firmware serial

USBSTOR key

Identifies physical USB device

Volume Serial Number (VSN)

File system serial

Event 1006, EMDMgmt, LNK files

Links device to files accessed

Printed Serial

Label on device

Physical device

May not match internal serial

Critical Understanding:

USB Device connects → Assigned VSN (if formatted)
Files accessed from USB → LNK files created with VSN embedded
VSN in LNK file = VSN from USB device = PROOF of file access

SOC Investigation Workflows

Workflow 1: Data Exfiltration Investigation (CRITICAL)

Scenario: Suspected data theft via USB drive

Investigation Steps (Priority Order):

Step 1: Identify ALL USB Devices Connected

Registry Location: SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USBSTOR

PowerShell - Enumerate USB Devices:

<#
.SYNOPSIS
    Enumerate all USB storage devices ever connected
#>

Write-Host "[+] Enumerating USB Storage Devices..." -ForegroundColor Cyan

$usbStorPath = "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USBSTOR"

if (Test-Path $usbStorPath) {
    Get-ChildItem $usbStorPath | ForEach-Object {
        $deviceKey = $_
        $deviceInfo = $_.PSChildName
        
        # Parse device info: Disk&Ven_XXX&Prod_YYY&Rev_ZZZ
        if ($deviceInfo -match "Disk&Ven_(.+)&Prod_(.+)&Rev_(.+)") {
            $vendor = $matches[1].Trim("_")
            $product = $matches[2].Trim("_")
            $revision = $matches[3].Trim("_")
            
            Write-Host "`n--- Device: $vendor $product ---" -ForegroundColor Yellow
            Write-Host "  Revision: $revision" -ForegroundColor Gray
            
            # Get serial number(s)
            Get-ChildItem $deviceKey.PSPath | ForEach-Object {
                $serial = $_.PSChildName
                $props = Get-ItemProperty $_.PSPath -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
                
                # Check for Windows-generated serial (has & in 2nd position)
                if ($serial.Length -ge 2 -and $serial[1] -eq '&') {
                    $serialType = "Windows-Generated (No Unique Serial)"
                } else {
                    $serialType = "Device Unique Serial"
                }
                
                Write-Host "`n  Serial Number: $serial" -ForegroundColor Cyan
                Write-Host "  Type: $serialType" -ForegroundColor $(if ($serialType -like "*Windows*") { "Yellow" } else { "Green" })
                
                if ($props.FriendlyName) {
                    Write-Host "  Friendly Name: $($props.FriendlyName)" -ForegroundColor White
                }
                
                # Get ParentIdPrefix (links to SCSI)
                if ($props.ParentIdPrefix) {
                    Write-Host "  ParentIdPrefix: $($props.ParentIdPrefix)" -ForegroundColor Gray
                }
            }
        }
    }
} else {
    Write-Host "[!] USBSTOR key not found" -ForegroundColor Red
}

Key USBSTOR Fields:

  • Vendor - Manufacturer (Kingston, SanDisk, etc.)

  • Product - Model name

  • Version/Revision - Firmware version

  • Serial Number - Device identifier

  • FriendlyName - Windows display name

  • ParentIdPrefix - Links USBSTOR to SCSI key

Red Flags:

  • ✗ Unknown vendors (unrecognised brands)

  • ✗ Multiple similar devices (many USBs in short time)

  • ✗ Recently connected devices during incident window

  • ✗ Windows-generated serials (& in 2nd position = device lacks unique serial)

Step 2: Extract Connection Timestamps (First/Last Connection)

Three Sources for Timestamps:

A. SYSTEM Registry Properties Keys (Most Reliable)

Location:

SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USBSTOR\{Device}\{Serial}\Properties\{83da6326-97a6-4088-9453-a19231573b29}\####

Where #### is:
0064 - First Install (Windows 7+)
0066 - Last Connected (Windows 8+)
0067 - Last Removal (Windows 8+)

PowerShell - Extract Timestamps:

<#
.SYNOPSIS
    Extract USB connection timestamps from SYSTEM registry
#>

function Convert-FileTimeToDateTime {
    param([byte[]]$FileTimeBytes)
    
    if ($FileTimeBytes.Length -ge 8) {
        try {
            $fileTime = [BitConverter]::ToInt64($FileTimeBytes, 0)
            return [DateTime]::FromFileTime($fileTime)
        } catch {
            return "Unable to parse"
        }
    }
    return "Invalid data"
}

Write-Host "[+] Extracting USB Connection Timestamps..." -ForegroundColor Cyan

$usbStorPath = "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USBSTOR"

Get-ChildItem $usbStorPath | ForEach-Object {
    $deviceKey = $_
    
    Get-ChildItem $deviceKey.PSPath | ForEach-Object {
        $serialKey = $_
        $serial = $_.PSChildName
        
        # Properties key
        $propsPath = Join-Path $serialKey.PSPath "Properties\{83da6326-97a6-4088-9453-a19231573b29}"
        
        if (Test-Path $propsPath) {
            Write-Host "`n--- Serial: $serial ---" -ForegroundColor Yellow
            
            # First Install (0064)
            $firstInstall = Get-ItemProperty "$propsPath\0064" -Name "(default)" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
            if ($firstInstall) {
                $time = Convert-FileTimeToDateTime $firstInstall.'(default)'
                Write-Host "  First Install: $time" -ForegroundColor Green
            }
            
            # Last Connected (0066)
            $lastConnected = Get-ItemProperty "$propsPath\0066" -Name "(default)" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
            if ($lastConnected) {
                $time = Convert-FileTimeToDateTime $lastConnected.'(default)'
                Write-Host "  Last Connected: $time" -ForegroundColor Cyan
            }
            
            # Last Removal (0067)
            $lastRemoval = Get-ItemProperty "$propsPath\0067" -Name "(default)" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
            if ($lastRemoval) {
                $time = Convert-FileTimeToDateTime $lastRemoval.'(default)'
                Write-Host "  Last Removal: $time" -ForegroundColor Yellow
            }
        }
    }
}

B. setupapi.dev.log (First Connection - LOCAL TIMEZONE!)

Location: C:\Windows\inf\setupapi.dev.log

CRITICAL: Timestamps in LOCAL TIMEZONE (not UTC like most forensic artifacts!)

PowerShell - Parse setupapi.dev.log:

<#
.SYNOPSIS
    Parse setupapi.dev.log for USB connections
#>

param(
    [string]$LogPath = "C:\Windows\inf\setupapi.dev.log",
    [string]$SearchSerial = ""  # Optional: search for specific serial
)

Write-Host "[+] Parsing setupapi.dev.log..." -ForegroundColor Cyan
Write-Host "[!] WARNING: Timestamps are in LOCAL TIMEZONE" -ForegroundColor Yellow

if (Test-Path $LogPath) {
    $content = Get-Content $LogPath
    
    $usbEntries = @()
    $currentEntry = $null
    
    foreach ($line in $content) {
        # Look for USB device installation start
        if ($line -match ">>>  \[Device Install.*?\- (.+?)\]" -or $line -match "Device Install.*?USB") {
            if ($currentEntry) {
                $usbEntries += $currentEntry
            }
            $currentEntry = @{
                Lines = @($line)
                Timestamp = $null
                Serial = $null
            }
        }
        
        if ($currentEntry) {
            $currentEntry.Lines += $line
            
            # Extract timestamp (format: >>> Section start 2024/11/30 14:23:45.123)
            if ($line -match ">>>.*?(\d{4}/\d{2}/\d{2} \d{2}:\d{2}:\d{2}\.\d{3})") {
                $currentEntry.Timestamp = $matches[1]
            }
            
            # Extract serial number
            if ($line -match "Device Serial Number = (.+)") {
                $currentEntry.Serial = $matches[1].Trim()
            }
        }
    }
    
    if ($currentEntry) {
        $usbEntries += $currentEntry
    }
    
    # Display results
    if ($SearchSerial) {
        $filtered = $usbEntries | Where-Object { $_.Serial -like "*$SearchSerial*" }
        Write-Host "`n[*] Entries matching '$SearchSerial':" -ForegroundColor Yellow
        $filtered | ForEach-Object {
            Write-Host "  Timestamp: $($_.Timestamp) (LOCAL TIME)" -ForegroundColor Cyan
            Write-Host "  Serial: $($_.Serial)" -ForegroundColor White
        }
    } else {
        Write-Host "`n[*] Found $($usbEntries.Count) USB device entries" -ForegroundColor Yellow
        Write-Host "[*] Recent entries:" -ForegroundColor Yellow
        
        $usbEntries | Select-Object -Last 10 | ForEach-Object {
            Write-Host "`n  Timestamp: $($_.Timestamp) (LOCAL TIME)" -ForegroundColor Cyan
            Write-Host "  Serial: $($_.Serial)" -ForegroundColor White
        }
    }
} else {
    Write-Host "[!] setupapi.dev.log not found" -ForegroundColor Red
}

C. Event ID 1006 (Connection/Disconnection Events)

Location: Microsoft-Windows-Partition/Diagnostic.evtx

Event ID 1006: Logged for each USB connect/disconnect

Caveat: Log cleared during major OS updates

PowerShell - Parse Event 1006:

<#
.SYNOPSIS
    Parse Event 1006 for USB connections
#>

param(
    [string]$EventLog = "C:\Windows\System32\winevt\Logs\Microsoft-Windows-Partition%4Diagnostic.evtx",
    [int]$Days = 30
)

Write-Host "[+] Parsing Partition Diagnostic Events..." -ForegroundColor Cyan

if (Test-Path $EventLog) {
    $startTime = (Get-Date).AddDays(-$Days)
    
    $events = Get-WinEvent -Path $EventLog -FilterXPath "*[System[EventID=1006]]" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    
    if ($events) {
        Write-Host "[*] Found $($events.Count) partition events" -ForegroundColor Yellow
        
        $events | Sort-Object TimeCreated -Descending | ForEach-Object {
            $xml = [xml]$_.ToXml()
            
            Write-Host "`n--- Event: $($_.TimeCreated) ---" -ForegroundColor Yellow
            Write-Host "Event Data:" -ForegroundColor Gray
            
            $xml.Event.EventData.Data | ForEach-Object {
                Write-Host "  $($_.Name): $($_.'#text')" -ForegroundColor Cyan
            }
        }
    } else {
        Write-Host "[!] No Event 1006 entries found" -ForegroundColor Red
    }
} else {
    Write-Host "[!] Partition Diagnostic log not found" -ForegroundColor Red
}

Timestamp Summary Table:

Source
Type
Timezone
Reliability
Availability

Properties 0064

First Install

UTC

High

Win7+

Properties 0066

Last Connected

UTC

High

Win8+

Properties 0067

Last Removal

UTC

High

Win8+

setupapi.dev.log

First Connection

LOCAL

High

Persistent

Event 1006

Each connect/disconnect

UTC

Medium

Cleared on updates

Step 3: Identify User Attribution (MountPoints2)

Critical for Attribution: Which user account accessed the USB device?

Registry Location: NTUSER.DAT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MountPoints2

How It Works:

  1. USB device assigned Volume GUID

  2. User accesses USB → MountPoints2 entry created in their NTUSER.DAT

  3. Volume GUID links to specific USB device

PowerShell - Check Current User:

<#
.SYNOPSIS
    Check current user's MountPoints2 for USB access
#>

Write-Host "[+] Checking MountPoints2 for USB Device Access..." -ForegroundColor Cyan

$mountPoints = "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MountPoints2"

if (Test-Path $mountPoints) {
    $entries = Get-ChildItem $mountPoints
    
    if ($entries) {
        Write-Host "`n[*] Found $($entries.Count) mount point entries for $env:USERNAME" -ForegroundColor Yellow
        
        foreach ($entry in $entries) {
            $guid = $entry.PSChildName
            
            # Volume GUIDs start with {
            # Network shares start with ##
            if ($guid -like "{*}") {
                Write-Host "`n  Volume GUID: $guid" -ForegroundColor Cyan
                
                # Try to get additional details
                $props = Get-ItemProperty $entry.PSPath -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
                if ($props) {
                    $props.PSObject.Properties | Where-Object { $_.Name -notlike "PS*" } | ForEach-Object {
                        Write-Host "    $($_.Name): $($_.Value)" -ForegroundColor Gray
                    }
                }
            }
        }
        
        Write-Host "`n[+] To correlate GUIDs with devices, check SYSTEM\MountedDevices" -ForegroundColor Yellow
    } else {
        Write-Host "[!] No mount points found for current user" -ForegroundColor Gray
    }
} else {
    Write-Host "[!] MountPoints2 key not found" -ForegroundColor Red
}

Offline Analysis (All Users):

# For offline analysis, need to load each user's NTUSER.DAT
# Example for specific user:

$userProfile = "C:\Users\Alice"
$ntuserPath = "$userProfile\NTUSER.DAT"

# Load hive (requires admin)
reg load "HKU\TempUser" $ntuserPath

# Query MountPoints2
reg query "HKU\TempUser\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MountPoints2"

# Unload hive
reg unload "HKU\TempUser"

Step 4: Extract Volume Serial Number (VSN) - THE CRITICAL LINK

Why VSN is Critical:

USB Device → Formatted with file system → Assigned VSN
Files accessed on USB → LNK files created
LNK files contain VSN (embedded in shell item)
VSN in LNK = VSN from USB device = PROOF of file access from that specific USB

Three Methods to Get VSN:

Method 1: Event ID 1006 (Windows 10+)

Event 1006 may include VBR (Volume Boot Record) data containing VSN

VSN Location in VBR:

  • FAT: Offset 0x43 (4 bytes)

  • exFAT: Offset 0x64 (4 bytes)

  • NTFS: Offset 0x48 (8 bytes, but only first 4 bytes used)

Method 2: EMDMgmt Registry Key (Legacy)

Location: SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\EMDMgmt

Caveat: Often missing on modern systems with SSDs

PowerShell - Extract from EMDMgmt:

<#
.SYNOPSIS
    Extract Volume Serial Numbers from EMDMgmt
#>

Write-Host "[+] Checking EMDMgmt for Volume Serial Numbers..." -ForegroundColor Cyan

$emdMgmtPath = "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\EMDMgmt"

if (Test-Path $emdMgmtPath) {
    Get-ChildItem $emdMgmtPath | ForEach-Object {
        $entry = Get-ItemProperty $_.PSPath
        
        Write-Host "`n--- Entry: $($_.PSChildName) ---" -ForegroundColor Yellow
        
        # Look for volume serial number (last integer in key name)
        if ($_.PSChildName -match "(\d+)$") {
            $vsnDecimal = $matches[1]
            $vsnHex = "{0:X}" -f [int]$vsnDecimal
            
            Write-Host "  Volume Serial (Decimal): $vsnDecimal" -ForegroundColor Cyan
            Write-Host "  Volume Serial (Hex): $vsnHex" -ForegroundColor Green
        }
        
        # Display all properties
        $entry.PSObject.Properties | Where-Object { $_.Name -notlike "PS*" } | ForEach-Object {
            Write-Host "  $($_.Name): $($_.Value)" -ForegroundColor Gray
        }
    }
} else {
    Write-Host "[!] EMDMgmt key not found (common on modern systems)" -ForegroundColor Yellow
}

Method 3: Cross-Reference with LNK Files (Most Reliable)

LNK files contain VSN! Extract from LNK files and correlate back to USB devices.

Using LECmd (Zimmerman Tool):

REM Parse LNK files
LECmd.exe -d "C:\Users\Alice\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent" --csv "C:\Cases\Output" --csvf lnk.csv -q

REM Filter CSV for:
REM - DriveType = "Removable"
REM - VolumeSerialNumber column
REM This gives you VSN of USB devices that had files accessed

Step 5: Correlate Device to File Access (THE KEY CORRELATION)

Critical Workflow:

  1. Extract USB Device Info:

    • Device serial number (USBSTOR)

    • Connection timestamps (Properties keys)

    • User who accessed it (MountPoints2)

  2. Extract VSN:

    • From Event 1006 or EMDMgmt

    • OR from LNK files (DriveType = Removable)

  3. Find LNK Files with Matching VSN:

    • Parse all LNK files with LECmd

    • Filter for matching VolumeSerialNumber

    • These LNK files = files accessed from that USB

  4. Build Timeline:

    • USB connected at time X

    • Files accessed (LNK timestamps)

    • USB disconnected at time Y

Complete Correlation Script:

<#
.SYNOPSIS
    Complete USB to file access correlation
.DESCRIPTION
    Links USB devices to files accessed via VSN correlation
.NOTES
    Requires LECmd to parse LNK files first
#>

param(
    [string]$LnkCsvPath = "C:\Cases\Output\lnk.csv",
    [string]$OutputPath = "C:\Cases\USB_File_Correlation.txt"
)

Write-Host "`n[+] USB Device to File Access Correlation" -ForegroundColor Cyan
Write-Host "=" * 80

# Check if LNK CSV exists
if (-not (Test-Path $LnkCsvPath)) {
    Write-Host "[!] LNK CSV not found at: $LnkCsvPath" -ForegroundColor Red
    Write-Host "[!] Run LECmd first: LECmd.exe -d 'C:\Users' --csv 'C:\Cases\Output' --csvf lnk.csv -q" -ForegroundColor Yellow
    exit
}

# Import LNK data
Write-Host "[*] Loading LNK file data..." -ForegroundColor Yellow
$lnkData = Import-Csv $LnkCsvPath

# Filter for removable drives
$usbFiles = $lnkData | Where-Object { $_.DriveType -eq "Removable" -or $_.DriveType -eq "2" }

if ($usbFiles) {
    Write-Host "[*] Found $($usbFiles.Count) LNK files from removable drives" -ForegroundColor Green
    
    # Group by Volume Serial Number
    $byVsn = $usbFiles | Group-Object VolumeSerialNumber
    
    "=" * 80 | Out-File $OutputPath
    "USB DEVICE TO FILE ACCESS CORRELATION - $(Get-Date)" | Out-File $OutputPath -Append
    "=" * 80 | Out-File $OutputPath -Append
    
    foreach ($vsnGroup in $byVsn) {
        $vsn = $vsnGroup.Name
        $files = $vsnGroup.Group
        
        "`n--- Volume Serial Number: $vsn ---" | Out-File $OutputPath -Append
        "Total Files Accessed: $($files.Count)" | Out-File $OutputPath -Append
        "`nFiles:" | Out-File $OutputPath -Append
        
        Write-Host "`n--- Volume Serial Number: $vsn ---" -ForegroundColor Yellow
        Write-Host "Files accessed: $($files.Count)" -ForegroundColor Cyan
        
        $files | ForEach-Object {
            $entry = "  $($_.TargetCreated) | $($_.TargetPath)"
            Write-Host $entry -ForegroundColor Gray
            $entry | Out-File $OutputPath -Append
        }
    }
    
    Write-Host "`n[+] Correlation saved to: $OutputPath" -ForegroundColor Green
    
    # Summary by VSN
    Write-Host "`n[*] Summary by Volume Serial Number:" -ForegroundColor Yellow
    $byVsn | ForEach-Object {
        Write-Host "  VSN $($_.Name): $($_.Count) files" -ForegroundColor Cyan
    }
    
} else {
    Write-Host "[!] No LNK files from removable drives found" -ForegroundColor Red
}

Step 6: Identify Drive Letter Assignments

Registry Location: SYSTEM\MountedDevices

Caveat: Only shows LAST drive letter assignment (no historical record)

PowerShell - Check Drive Letters:

<#
.SYNOPSIS
    Check USB drive letter assignments
#>

Write-Host "[+] Checking Drive Letter Assignments..." -ForegroundColor Cyan

$mountedDevices = "HKLM:\SYSTEM\MountedDevices"

if (Test-Path $mountedDevices) {
    $props = Get-ItemProperty $mountedDevices
    
    # Filter for DosDevices (drive letters)
    $props.PSObject.Properties | Where-Object { $_.Name -like "\DosDevices\*" } | ForEach-Object {
        $driveLetter = $_.Name -replace "\\DosDevices\\", ""
        $data = $_.Value
        
        # Try to extract serial number from data
        if ($data) {
            $dataString = [System.Text.Encoding]::Unicode.GetString($data)
            Write-Host "`n  Drive: $driveLetter" -ForegroundColor Yellow
            Write-Host "  Data: $($dataString -replace '\x00', '')" -ForegroundColor Gray
        }
    }
} else {
    Write-Host "[!] MountedDevices key not found" -ForegroundColor Red
}

Complete USB Investigation Script

<#
.SYNOPSIS
    Comprehensive USB Device Investigation
.DESCRIPTION
    Performs complete USB forensic analysis
#>

param(
    [string]$OutputPath = "C:\Cases\USB_Investigation"
)

# Create output directory
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $OutputPath -Force | Out-Null

Write-Host "`n╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗" -ForegroundColor Cyan
Write-Host "║       USB DEVICE FORENSIC INVESTIGATION                   ║" -ForegroundColor Cyan
Write-Host "╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝" -ForegroundColor Cyan
Write-Host "Computer: $env:COMPUTERNAME" -ForegroundColor Yellow
Write-Host "Output: $OutputPath`n" -ForegroundColor Yellow

# Helper function
function Convert-FileTimeToDateTime {
    param([byte[]]$FileTimeBytes)
    if ($FileTimeBytes.Length -ge 8) {
        try {
            $fileTime = [BitConverter]::ToInt64($FileTimeBytes, 0)
            return [DateTime]::FromFileTime($fileTime)
        } catch {
            return "Unable to parse"
        }
    }
    return "No data"
}

# ============================================================================
# 1. ENUMERATE USB DEVICES
# ============================================================================
Write-Host "[1/5] Enumerating USB Storage Devices..." -ForegroundColor Yellow
$devicesOutput = "$OutputPath\01_USB_Devices.txt"

"=" * 80 | Out-File $devicesOutput
"USB STORAGE DEVICES - $(Get-Date)" | Out-File $devicesOutput -Append
"=" * 80 | Out-File $devicesOutput -Append

$usbStorPath = "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USBSTOR"

if (Test-Path $usbStorPath) {
    $deviceCount = 0
    
    Get-ChildItem $usbStorPath | ForEach-Object {
        $deviceKey = $_
        $deviceInfo = $_.PSChildName
        
        if ($deviceInfo -match "Disk&Ven_(.+)&Prod_(.+)&Rev_(.+)") {
            $vendor = $matches[1].Trim("_")
            $product = $matches[2].Trim("_")
            $revision = $matches[3].Trim("_")
            
            "`n--- Device #$($deviceCount + 1) ---" | Out-File $devicesOutput -Append
            "Vendor: $vendor" | Out-File $devicesOutput -Append
            "Product: $product" | Out-File $devicesOutput -Append
            "Revision: $revision" | Out-File $devicesOutput -Append
            
            # Get serial numbers
            Get-ChildItem $deviceKey.PSPath | ForEach-Object {
                $serial = $_.PSChildName
                $props = Get-ItemProperty $_.PSPath -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
                
                "`nSerial Number: $serial" | Out-File $devicesOutput -Append
                
                if ($serial.Length -ge 2 -and $serial[1] -eq '&') {
                    "  Type: Windows-Generated (Device lacks unique serial)" | Out-File $devicesOutput -Append
                } else {
                    "  Type: Device Unique Serial" | Out-File $devicesOutput -Append
                }
                
                if ($props.FriendlyName) {
                    "  Friendly Name: $($props.FriendlyName)" | Out-File $devicesOutput -Append
                }
                
                if ($props.ParentIdPrefix) {
                    "  ParentIdPrefix: $($props.ParentIdPrefix)" | Out-File $devicesOutput -Append
                }
            }
            
            $deviceCount++
        }
    }
    
    "`n`nTotal Devices: $deviceCount" | Out-File $devicesOutput -Append
    Write-Host "  [✓] Found $deviceCount USB devices" -ForegroundColor Green
} else {
    "[!] USBSTOR key not found" | Out-File $devicesOutput
    Write-Host "  [!] USBSTOR key not found" -ForegroundColor Red
}

# ============================================================================
# 2. EXTRACT CONNECTION TIMESTAMPS
# ============================================================================
Write-Host "[2/5] Extracting Connection Timestamps..." -ForegroundColor Yellow
$timestampsOutput = "$OutputPath\02_Connection_Timestamps.txt"

"=" * 80 | Out-File $timestampsOutput
"USB CONNECTION TIMESTAMPS - $(Get-Date)" | Out-File $timestampsOutput -Append
"=" * 80 | Out-File $timestampsOutput -Append

if (Test-Path $usbStorPath) {
    Get-ChildItem $usbStorPath | ForEach-Object {
        $deviceKey = $_
        
        Get-ChildItem $deviceKey.PSPath | ForEach-Object {
            $serialKey = $_
            $serial = $_.PSChildName
            
            $propsPath = Join-Path $serialKey.PSPath "Properties\{83da6326-97a6-4088-9453-a19231573b29}"
            
            if (Test-Path $propsPath) {
                "`n--- Serial: $serial ---" | Out-File $timestampsOutput -Append
                
                # First Install (0064)
                $firstInstall = Get-ItemProperty "$propsPath\0064" -Name "(default)" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
                if ($firstInstall) {
                    $time = Convert-FileTimeToDateTime $firstInstall.'(default)'
                    "First Install (UTC): $time" | Out-File $timestampsOutput -Append
                }
                
                # Last Connected (0066)
                $lastConnected = Get-ItemProperty "$propsPath\0066" -Name "(default)" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
                if ($lastConnected) {
                    $time = Convert-FileTimeToDateTime $lastConnected.'(default)'
                    "Last Connected (UTC): $time" | Out-File $timestampsOutput -Append
                }
                
                # Last Removal (0067)
                $lastRemoval = Get-ItemProperty "$propsPath\0067" -Name "(default)" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
                if ($lastRemoval) {
                    $time = Convert-FileTimeToDateTime $lastRemoval.'(default)'
                    "Last Removal (UTC): $time" | Out-File $timestampsOutput -Append
                }
            }
        }
    }
    
    Write-Host "  [✓] Timestamps extracted" -ForegroundColor Green
}

# ============================================================================
# 3. CHECK USER ATTRIBUTION
# ============================================================================
Write-Host "[3/5] Checking User Attribution (MountPoints2)..." -ForegroundColor Yellow
$userOutput = "$OutputPath\03_User_Attribution.txt"

"=" * 80 | Out-File $userOutput
"USER ATTRIBUTION - $(Get-Date)" | Out-File $userOutput -Append
"=" * 80 | Out-File $userOutput -Append

$mountPoints = "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MountPoints2"

if (Test-Path $mountPoints) {
    "`n--- Current User: $env:USERNAME ---" | Out-File $userOutput -Append
    
    $entries = Get-ChildItem $mountPoints
    
    if ($entries) {
        "Found $($entries.Count) mount points" | Out-File $userOutput -Append
        
        foreach ($entry in $entries) {
            $guid = $entry.PSChildName
            
            if ($guid -like "{*}") {
                "`n  Volume GUID: $guid" | Out-File $userOutput -Append
            }
        }
    } else {
        "No mount points found for current user" | Out-File $userOutput -Append
    }
} else {
    "MountPoints2 key not found" | Out-File $userOutput -Append
}

Write-Host "  [✓] User attribution checked" -ForegroundColor Green
Write-Host "  [!] For all users, analyze offline NTUSER.DAT hives" -ForegroundColor Yellow

# ============================================================================
# 4. CHECK DRIVE LETTER ASSIGNMENTS
# ============================================================================
Write-Host "[4/5] Checking Drive Letter Assignments..." -ForegroundColor Yellow
$driveOutput = "$OutputPath\04_Drive_Letters.txt"

"=" * 80 | Out-File $driveOutput
"DRIVE LETTER ASSIGNMENTS - $(Get-Date)" | Out-File $driveOutput -Append
"=" * 80 | Out-File $driveOutput -Append
"`n[!] Only shows LAST assignment (no historical)" | Out-File $driveOutput -Append

$mountedDevices = "HKLM:\SYSTEM\MountedDevices"

if (Test-Path $mountedDevices) {
    $props = Get-ItemProperty $mountedDevices
    
    "`nRemovable Drive Letters:" | Out-File $driveOutput -Append
    
    $props.PSObject.Properties | Where-Object { $_.Name -like "\DosDevices\[E-Z]:*" } | ForEach-Object {
        $driveLetter = $_.Name -replace "\\DosDevices\\", ""
        "  Drive: $driveLetter" | Out-File $driveOutput -Append
    }
}

Write-Host "  [✓] Drive letters checked" -ForegroundColor Green

# ============================================================================
# 5. CHECK SETUPAPI.DEV.LOG
# ============================================================================
Write-Host "[5/5] Checking setupapi.dev.log..." -ForegroundColor Yellow
$setupapiOutput = "$OutputPath\05_Setupapi_Log.txt"

"=" * 80 | Out-File $setupapiOutput
"SETUPAPI.DEV.LOG ANALYSIS - $(Get-Date)" | Out-File $setupapiOutput -Append
"=" * 80 | Out-File $setupapiOutput -Append
"`n[!] WARNING: Timestamps are in LOCAL TIMEZONE (not UTC)" | Out-File $setupapiOutput -Append

$setupapiPath = "C:\Windows\inf\setupapi.dev.log"

if (Test-Path $setupapiPath) {
    $content = Get-Content $setupapiPath -Tail 100
    
    "`nLast 100 lines:" | Out-File $setupapiOutput -Append
    $content | Out-File $setupapiOutput -Append
    
    Write-Host "  [✓] setupapi.dev.log saved (last 100 lines)" -ForegroundColor Green
} else {
    "[!] setupapi.dev.log not found" | Out-File $setupapiOutput
    Write-Host "  [!] setupapi.dev.log not found" -ForegroundColor Red
}

# ============================================================================
# GENERATE SUMMARY
# ============================================================================
$summaryOutput = "$OutputPath\00_INVESTIGATION_SUMMARY.txt"

@"
╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║              USB DEVICE INVESTIGATION SUMMARY                              ║
╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝

Investigation Date: $(Get-Date)
Computer: $env:COMPUTERNAME
Analyst: $env:USERNAME

ANALYSIS PERFORMED:
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
[✓] USB Device Enumeration (USBSTOR)
[✓] Connection Timestamps (Properties keys, 0064/0066/0067)
[✓] User Attribution (MountPoints2 - current user)
[✓] Drive Letter Assignments (MountedDevices)
[✓] setupapi.dev.log Analysis

OUTPUT FILES:
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
01_USB_Devices.txt           → All USB devices ever connected
02_Connection_Timestamps.txt → First/last connection times
03_User_Attribution.txt      → User mount points (current user only)
04_Drive_Letters.txt         → Drive letter assignments
05_Setupapi_Log.txt          → Setup log (last 100 lines)

CRITICAL NEXT STEPS:
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
1. Parse LNK files with LECmd to get Volume Serial Numbers:
   LECmd.exe -d "C:\Users" --csv "$OutputPath" --csvf lnk.csv -q

2. Filter LNK CSV for DriveType = "Removable" to find USB file access

3. Correlate Volume Serial Number (VSN) from:
   - Event ID 1006 (Microsoft-Windows-Partition/Diagnostic.evtx)
   - EMDMgmt registry key (if available)
   - LNK files (VolumeSerialNumber column)

4. Match VSN to USB device to prove file access

5. For all users' MountPoints2, load offline NTUSER.DAT hives:
   reg load "HKU\TempUser" "C:\Users\[username]\NTUSER.DAT"
   reg query "HKU\TempUser\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MountPoints2"

6. Build complete timeline:
   - USB connected (timestamps)
   - Files accessed (LNK files)
   - USB disconnected (timestamps)

KEY INVESTIGATION PRINCIPLES:
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
→ Volume Serial Number (VSN) is THE KEY to linking USB to files
→ VSN != USB Unique Serial (different identifiers!)
→ setupapi.dev.log timestamps are LOCAL timezone (not UTC!)
→ Only last drive letter assignment stored (no historical)
→ MountPoints2 proves user accessed specific USB (per-user attribution)
→ Windows 10/11 stores up to 1 year of USB data

TOOLS REQUIRED:
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
✓ LECmd.exe (LNK file parser) - CRITICAL for VSN extraction
✓ Registry Explorer - For offline registry analysis
✓ USBDeview - Alternative GUI tool

Download: https://ericzimmerman.github.io/

════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
"@ | Out-File $summaryOutput

Write-Host "`n╔════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╗" -ForegroundColor Green
Write-Host "║            INVESTIGATION COMPLETE                          ║" -ForegroundColor Green
Write-Host "╚════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝" -ForegroundColor Green
Write-Host "`nResults: $OutputPath" -ForegroundColor Cyan
Write-Host "Review: 00_INVESTIGATION_SUMMARY.txt`n" -ForegroundColor Yellow

Write-Host "[!] CRITICAL NEXT STEP: Parse LNK files for file access evidence" -ForegroundColor Red
Write-Host "    Command: LECmd.exe -d 'C:\Users' --csv '$OutputPath' --csvf lnk.csv -q`n" -ForegroundColor White

Real Investigation Scenarios

Scenario 1: Data Exfiltration via USB

Evidence Chain:

1. USBSTOR: Kingston USB 32GB connected
2. Timestamps: First connected 2024-11-29 14:23 UTC
3. MountPoints2: Alice's account has Volume GUID entry
4. LECmd: 50 LNK files with DriveType="Removable", VSN=1A2B-3C4D
5. LNK files: HR_Salaries_2024.xlsx, Customer_Database.sql
6. Timestamps: Last removal 2024-11-29 15:45 UTC
7. Recycle Bin: Original files deleted after USB copy

CONCLUSION: Alice copied sensitive files to USB, then deleted originals

Timeline:

14:23 - USB connected (USBSTOR timestamp 0066)
14:30 - Files accessed from C:\ (Recent Files)
14:35 - Files copied to USB (LNK with VSN=1A2B-3C4D)
14:40 - Original files deleted (Recycle Bin)
15:45 - USB disconnected (USBSTOR timestamp 0067)

Scenario 2: Unauthorised Device Usage

Evidence Chain:

1. USBSTOR: Unknown brand "Generic USB" (suspicious)
2. Serial: Has & in 2nd position = Windows-generated (no unique serial)
3. Timestamps: Connected 02:30 AM (off-hours)
4. MountPoints2: Bob's account accessed device
5. LECmd: malware.exe accessed from USB (VSN=9876-5432)
6. Prefetch: malware.exe executed shortly after

CONCLUSION: Unauthorised USB containing malware used by Bob

Scenario 3: VSN Correlation Success

Investigation Steps:

1. Find LNK file: secret_document.xlsx.lnk
2. Extract VSN from LNK: AB12-CD34
3. Search EMDMgmt or Event 1006 for VSN=AB12-CD34
4. Match to Kingston USB serial XXXXX
5. Check USBSTOR timestamps for that serial
6. Check MountPoints2 for user attribution

RESULT: Proved file accessed from specific USB device by specific user

Quick Reference Commands

Registry Queries

REM USB devices
reg query "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USBSTOR"

REM Connection timestamps
reg query "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USBSTOR\Disk&Ven*" /s

REM User mount points
reg query "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MountPoints2"

REM Drive letters
reg query "HKLM\SYSTEM\MountedDevices"

REM Volume serial numbers (legacy)
reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\EMDMgmt"

PowerShell One-Liners

# List USB devices
Get-ChildItem "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USBSTOR" | ForEach-Object {$_.PSChildName}

# Current user mount points
Get-ChildItem "HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MountPoints2" | Select-Object PSChildName

# Event 1006 (last 20)
Get-WinEvent -Path "C:\Windows\System32\winevt\Logs\Microsoft-Windows-Partition%4Diagnostic.evtx" -FilterXPath "*[System[EventID=1006]]" -MaxEvents 20 | Select-Object TimeCreated, Message

Investigation Checklists

USB Data Exfiltration Investigation

  • [ ] Enumerate all USB devices (USBSTOR)

  • [ ] Extract connection timestamps (Properties 0064/0066/0067)

  • [ ] Identify Windows-generated serials (& in 2nd position)

  • [ ] Check MountPoints2 for user attribution

  • [ ] Parse LNK files with LECmd

  • [ ] Filter LNK for DriveType = "Removable"

  • [ ] Extract Volume Serial Numbers from LNK files

  • [ ] Correlate VSN to USB device

  • [ ] Build timeline: connect → access → disconnect

  • [ ] Check for file deletion (Recycle Bin)

  • [ ] Cross-reference with Recent Files registry

  • [ ] Document complete evidence chain

Unauthorised Device Investigation

  • [ ] Identify unknown/suspicious devices (USBSTOR)

  • [ ] Check connection times (off-hours indicator)

  • [ ] Verify authorised device list

  • [ ] Check user attribution (MountPoints2)

  • [ ] Look for malware/suspicious files (LNK + Prefetch)

  • [ ] Review execution artifacts (Prefetch, BAM)

  • [ ] Check for policy violations

  • [ ] Document user and device details

Timeline Construction

  • [ ] Extract all timestamp sources (0064/0066/0067)

  • [ ] Parse setupapi.dev.log (LOCAL timezone!)

  • [ ] Parse Event 1006 (if available)

  • [ ] Extract LNK file access times

  • [ ] Correlate all timestamps in single timeline

  • [ ] Note timezone differences

  • [ ] Build narrative of events

USB Forensics Tools

Essential Tools

Zimmerman Tools:

  • LECmd - LNK file parser (CRITICAL for VSN extraction)

  • Registry Explorer - Offline registry analysis

  • Timeline Explorer - Timeline visualisation

NirSoft:

  • USBDeview - GUI USB device viewer

  • USBLogView - setupapi.dev.log parser

Microsoft:

  • Registry Editor - Live registry queries

  • Event Viewer - Event 1006 analysis

Best Practices

Live Response

✅ DO:

  • Collect registry hives (SYSTEM, SOFTWARE, NTUSER.DAT)

  • Copy setupapi.dev.log immediately

  • Export Event 1006 before it's cleared

  • Collect all LNK files from all users

  • Document current time and timezone

  • Hash all collected artifacts

❌ DON'T:

  • Plug in your own USB (creates new entries!)

  • Modify registry during investigation

  • Forget timezone differences (setupapi = LOCAL)

  • Skip LNK file collection (VSN source!)

Offline Analysis

✅ DO:

  • Load registry hives read-only

  • Parse all user NTUSER.DAT files

  • Correlate VSN across all sources

  • Cross-reference with LNK files

  • Build complete timeline

  • Validate all correlations

❌ DON'T:

  • Rely on single artifact

  • Skip VSN correlation

  • Ignore setupapi timezone

  • Forget about Windows-generated serials

Summary: Critical Takeaways

The Most Important Concept

Volume Serial Number (VSN) is THE KEY:

USB Device → VSN assigned → Files accessed → LNK created with VSN
VSN in LNK file = VSN from USB = PROOF of file access from that USB

Key Differences to Remember

Serial Type
Purpose
Where Found

USB Unique Serial

Identifies physical USB

USBSTOR registry

Volume Serial Number (VSN)

Identifies file system

LNK files, Event 1006

Printed Serial

Marketing label

Physical device

Top 5 USB Investigation Steps

  1. USBSTOR - Identify devices connected

  2. Timestamps - When connected (0064/0066/0067)

  3. MountPoints2 - Who accessed device

  4. VSN - Extract from LNK files

  5. Correlation - Match VSN to prove file access

Critical Registry Paths

Device Identity:
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USBSTOR\{Device}\{Serial}

Timestamps:
SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USBSTOR\{Device}\{Serial}\Properties\{83da6326-...}\0064|0066|0067

User Attribution:
NTUSER.DAT\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\MountPoints2

VSN (Legacy):
SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\EMDMgmt

Key Principle

USB forensics requires correlation of multiple artifacts. The Volume Serial Number (VSN) from LNK files is your most reliable evidence linking a USB device to specific file access. Always cross-reference USBSTOR, timestamps, MountPoints2, and LNK files to build complete evidence chain.

Remember: Volume Serial Number (VSN) is THE critical link between USB devices and files accessed. Extract VSN from LNK files (DriveType=Removable) and correlate with USB device records. This proves which files were accessed from which USB device!

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