cylinderscan

cylinderscan is a command-line utility designed for detecting and extracting information about USB mass storage devices. It operates by examining the USB device descriptor and comparing it against a database of known devices. The primary function of cylinderscan is to identify specific types of USB flash drives, often those manufactured by SanDisk, that have implemented a proprietary method for data storage.

The tool is particularly useful in forensic investigations where it can help to identify the presence and model of a USB device that might otherwise be difficult to recognize through standard operating system methods. By analyzing the device's identification strings and other relevant USB parameters, cylinderscan aims to provide a more granular level of detail. This can be crucial for establishing a chain of custody or for understanding the capabilities of a connected device.

cylinderscan works by sending specific USB control requests to the device and interpreting the responses. This allows it to bypass some of the higher-level abstraction layers that operating systems use to manage storage devices. The output of cylinderscan typically includes information such as the vendor ID, product ID, and a human-readable name for the detected USB device. It is often used in conjunction with other forensic tools to build a comprehensive picture of digital evidence.