Phone Image Carver
Do you create mobile phone hex dumps in forensic phone examinations? Phone Image Carver is an easy to use sector by sector data carver for phone dumps or cell phone image files. Currently supports: # Hex; DD; Bin; RAW and DMG
Do you create mobile phone hex dumps in forensic phone examinations?
- What file types are you data carving from your forensic phone dumps?
- Are your file carving scripts accurate for more than 300 different file types?
- Do you need a reliable sector file carving tool to quickly scan your cell phone image files?
Phone Image Carver is an easy to use block by block data carver for phone dumps or cell phone image files. Currently supports:
- Hex;
- DD;
- Bin;
- RAW;
- DMG;
- XRY.
What is file carving
File Carving, Data Carving, or just Carving is a general term for extracting data (files) out of raw data, much like “carving” a sculpture from a stone.
It is the practice of searching for files based on internal content, rather than known information such as that supplied by a file system. File carving is a powerful tool for recovering files and fragments of files when a file system is not present, damaged, corrupt, or unknown.
File Carving works by looking for file headers and footers, and then “carving out” the blocks between these two boundaries. Additional accuracy is achieved by analysis of the contents of identified files to assess if internal structure conforms with the identified file type.
Phone Image Carver
Is specifically designed for cell phone forensics. It does not search on sector boundaries, but analyses your phone image file block by block for user select file types.
Does your suspect store .jpeg, .png, .tiff, files on a phone? Find out in 3 simple steps:
- Select image file;
- Select file types to data carve;
- Scan and preview the search results.
Is there a need for forensic phone hex dumping?
Flashing or dumping a cell phone describes creating either a hexadecimal or binary image file of cell phone memory. The procedure follows the established principals of computer forensics where a forensics technician strives to preserve original evidence in a manner which will demonstrate integrity and continuity to a court.
The additional benefit of the hex dumping methodology when compared to real time query based phone analysis is that it allows for the examination of hidden or deleted data within the image file.
Frequently Asked Qustions (FAQ)
Does Phone Image Carver create hex or binary phone image files?
- No. Phone Image Carver is concerned only with analyzing and existing image file to search for specific file types.
How do I find out how to create phone image files
- Cell phone forensics is an emerging field. We strongly suggest that if you are starting out you read on-line articles such as “Hex Dumping Primer” (by Michael Harrington CFCE, EnCE).
Does your tool talk directly to a phone
- No. Phone image carver will run only on image files.
The file type I am not looking for is not listed. What can I do?
- It is possible to add new file types to Phone Image Carver. Please contact us and provide as much information as possible as to the format and author of the file type. Please send us sample files, or image files, if possible.
The image file is not supported by Phone Image Carver. What can i do?
- Some phone flashing program uses a proprietary format to create and store image files. It may be possible to add image formats, particularly if the author of the file format is willing to provide assistance. Please provide a sample of the image file and information about the creating software, including the version number.
Will Phone Image Carver find fragmented files?
- No. A limitation of file carving is that it is most accurate when files a stored in contiguous sectors.
Can I try Phone Image Carver before I purchase a license?
- Yes. Download and try the software in evaluation mode. It will allow you to search an image file and display the results in the search results screen. A product activation key is required to save the search results.
Can I use Phone Image Carver to search EnCase image files of hard drives?
- Technically you can do this. However, Phone Image Carver is specifically designed to search phone image files because it searches block by block. Phone image files are usually relatively small.If you wish to search large EnCase or FTK image files of hard drives, use Forensic Explorer. Forensic Explorer has the option to data carve at a cluster, sector, or byte (block) level.
