memoryscanning

Memory scanning refers to techniques and tools used to inspect volatile memory (RAM) to locate data such as running processes, artefacts, credentials, network connections, and code stored in memory. It is employed in software debugging, digital forensics, malware analysis, incident response, and anti-cheat or software testing to understand system state beyond what is visible on disk.

Common approaches include live memory analysis of a running system, where investigators inspect the current memory content, and memory acquisition, where a memory dump is saved for offline examination. Scanning techniques range from signature or pattern-based searches for known byte sequences to heuristic analysis that looks for suspicious behavior. Pointer and data-structure analysis helps reconstruct objects in memory, while memory carving or data carving extracts strings, artifacts, and fragments from raw memory without relying on file system metadata.

Memory scanning faces several challenges. RAM content is volatile and constantly changing, which can complicate reconstruction. Data may be encrypted or packed, and modern systems employ memory protection, address space layout randomization, and anti-analysis techniques. Artifacts can be widespread across processes, kernel space, and drivers, requiring multi-architecture and cross-platform capabilities. Privacy and legal considerations also govern memory access, given the potential to reveal sensitive information.

Tools and frameworks for memory scanning include open-source and commercial options that support live analysis and memory dump examination. Prominent examples are memory forensics frameworks that organize artifacts by schema and provide search, correlation, and reporting features. Memory scanning remains a specialized activity at the intersection of forensics, security, and software engineering, balancing depth of analysis with ethical and legal constraints.