mac_apt is a DFIR (Digital Forensics and Incident Response) tool to process Mac computer full disk images (or live machines) and extract data/metadata useful for forensic investigation. It is a python based framework, which has plugins to process individual artifacts (such as Safari internet history, Network interfaces, Recently accessed files & volumes, ..)
mac_apt now also includes ios_apt, for processing ios images.
Note: Tested upto Python 3.13 on Windows and macOS (ARM and x64).
- Cross platform (no dependency on pyobjc)
- Works on E01, VMDK, AFF4, DD, split-DD, DMG (no compression), SPARSEIMAGE, Velociraptor collected files (VR) & mounted images
- XLSX, CSV, TSV, JSONL, Sqlite outputs
- Analyzed files/artifacts are exported for later review
- zlib, lzvn, lzfse compressed files are supported!
- Native HFS & APFS parser
- Reads the Spotlight database and Unified Logging (tracev3) files
✔️ Can read Velociraptor created targeted collection zip (when created via MacOS.Search.FileFinder)
✔️ Can read Axiom created targeted collection zip files
✔️ ios_apt can read GrayKey extracted file system
✔️ Can read RECON and ASLA created .sparseimage files
✔️ Support for macOS Big Sur Sealed volumes (11.0)
✔️ Introducing ios_apt for processing iOS/ipadOS images
✔️ FAST mode ⏳
✔️ Encrypted 🔒 APFS images can now be processed using password/recovery-key 🔑
✔️ macOS Catalina (10.15+) separately mounted SYSTEM & DATA volumes now supported
✔️ AFF4 images (including Macquisition/DigitalCollector created) are supported
| Available Plugins (artifacts parsed) | Description |
|---|---|
| APPLIST | Reads apps & printers installed and/or available for each user from appList.dat |
| ARD | Reads ARD (Apple Remote Desktop) cached databases about app usage |
| ASL | Reads ASL (Apple System Log) from asl.log, asl.db and ".asl" files |
| AUTOSTART | Retrieves programs, daemons, services set to start at boot/login |
| BASICINFO | Basic machine & OS configuration like SN, timezone, computer name, last logged in user, HFS info |
| BLUETOOTH | Gets Bluetooth Artifacts |
| CALLHISTORY | Reads call history database |
| CFURLCACHE | Reads CFURL cache to URLs, requests and responses |
| CHROMIUM | Read Chromium Browsers (Edge, Chrome, Opera,..) History, Top Sites, Downloads and Extension info |
| COOKIES | Reads .binarycookies, .cookies files and HSTS.plist for each user |
| CRASHREPORTER | Reads crash reporter plists |
| DOCKITEMS | Reads the Dock plist for every user |
| DOCUMENTREVISIONS | Reads DocumentRevisions database |
| DOMAINS | Active Directory Domain(s) that the mac is connected to |
| FILESHARING | Read shared folder info |
| FIREFOX | Read internet history from Mozilla Firefox browser |
| FSEVENTS | Reads file system event logs (from .fseventsd) |
| IDEVICEBACKUPS | Reads and exports iPhone/iPad backup databases |
| IDEVICEINFO | Reads and exports connected iDevice details |
| IMESSAGE | Read iMessage chats |
| INETACCOUNTS | Retrieve configured internet accounts (iCloud, Google, Linkedin, facebook..) |
| INSTALLHISTORY | Software Installation History |
| MSOFFICE | Reads Word, Excel, Powerpoint and other office MRU/accessed file paths |
| MSRDC | Reads connection history from Microsoft Remote Desktop database and extracts thumbnails |
| NETUSAGE | Read network usage data statistics per application |
| NETWORKING | Interfaces, last IP address, MAC address, DHCP .. |
| NOTES | Reads notes databases |
| NOTIFICATIONS | Reads mac notification data for each user |
| PRINTJOBS | Parses CUPS spooled print jobs to get information about files/commands sent to a printer |
| QUARANTINE | Reads the quarantine database and .LastGKReject file |
| QUICKLOOK | Reads the QuickLook index.sqlite and carves thumbnails from thumbnails.data |
| RECENTITEMS | Recently accessed Servers, Documents, Hosts, Volumes & Applications from .plist and .sfl files. Also gets recent searches and places for each user |
| SAFARI | Internet history, downloaded file information, cookies and more from Safari caches |
| SAVEDSTATE | Gets window titles from Saved Application State info |
| SCREENSHARING | Reads the list of connected hosts with Screen Sharing |
| SCREENTIME | Reads ScreenTime database for program and app usage |
| SPOTLIGHT | Reads the spotlight index databases |
| SPOTLIGHTSHORTCUTS | User typed data in the spotlight bar & targeted document/app |
| SUDOLASTRUN | Gets last time sudo was used and a few other times earlier (if available) |
| TCC | Reads Transparency, Consent and Control (TCC) database |
| TERMINALSTATE | Reads Terminal saved state files which includes full text content of terminal windows |
| TERMSESSIONS | Reads Terminal (bash & zsh) history & sesions for every user |
| UNIFIEDLOGS | Reads macOS unified logging logs from .tracev3 files |
| USERS | Local & Domain user information - name, UID, UUID, GID, account creation & password set dates, pass hints, homedir & Darwin paths |
| UTMPX | Reads utmpx file |
| WIFI | Gets wifi network information |
| WIFI_INTELLIGENCE | Gets Wifi connect/disconnect information from Apple Intelligence db |
| XPROTECT | Reads XProtect diagnostic files and XProtect Behavior Service database |
- Plugins for BIOME and KnowledgeC
- More documentation
For installation (to run from code) see https://github.com/ydkhatri/mac_apt/wiki/Installation-for-Python3
Please read the documentation here: https://github.com/ydkhatri/mac_apt/wiki
To download windows binaries, proceed here - https://github.com/ydkhatri/mac_apt/releases
Feel free to send comments and feedback to yogesh@swiftforensics.com, or open an issue.
