Triaging Windows With Kape

Triaging Windows with KAPE

Authorized Use Only: KAPE collects forensic artifacts from systems. Only run KAPE against systems you own or are explicitly authorized in writing to acquire and analyze. Preserve chain of custody and follow your organization's evidence-handling procedures.

Overview

KAPE (Kroll Artifact Parser and Extractor) is a free, Windows-native triage tool authored by Eric Zimmerman and distributed by Kroll. It performs two distinct phases controlled by separate configuration sets:

• Targets (.tkape files) define what to collect. KAPE uses the raw NTFS file system (via direct volume access) to copy locked/in-use files such as registry hives, $MFT, event logs, prefetch, browser databases, and LNK files without triggering anti-tamper protections. Targets can be chained into "compound" targets (for example KapeTriage, !SANS_Triage) that pull a forensically rich subset in minutes.
• Modules (.mkape files) define how to process collected (or live) data. Modules wrap external binaries — primarily Eric Zimmerman's tools (PECmd, MFTECmd, RECmd, etc.) — and emit normalized CSV/JSON output. The !EZParser compound module runs the full EZ Tools suite against a target collection.

KAPE ships with both a CLI (kape.exe) and a GUI front end (gkape.exe). Because of its speed, KAPE lets responders prioritize which hosts warrant deep forensic imaging, making it a cornerstone of modern remote/at-scale DFIR triage.

When to Use

• During the early containment/triage phase of an incident when you need execution, persistence, and account artifacts from one or many hosts quickly.
• When full disk imaging is impractical (large disks, remote sites, time pressure) but you still need a defensible, parseable artifact set.
• When automating collection across a fleet via remote execution (PSExec, EDR live response, SOAR) using batch-mode _kape.cli files.
• When you need to collect from Volume Shadow Copies to recover historical artifact states.

Prerequisites

• Windows host (KAPE runs on Windows; EZ Tools modules require the .NET runtime bundled with the tools).
• Download KAPE from the official source (free, registration required): https://www.kroll.com/kape
• Administrator privileges (required for raw volume access and VSS).
• Update Targets, Modules, and the bundled binaries:

  REM From the KAPE directory, sync community Targets/Modules from GitHub
  kape.exe --sync
  
  REM Download/update the EZ Tools binaries that Modules invoke
  Get-KAPEUpdate.ps1

• A clean, write-protected destination (external drive or network share) separate from the evidence source.

Objectives

• Collect a forensically sound triage artifact set from a target volume.
• Optionally include Volume Shadow Copies for historical recovery.
• Package output as a VHDX/ZIP container with hashing for chain of custody.
• Run modules to parse the collection into analyst-ready CSV/JSON.
• Build a repeatable batch-mode collection for fleet deployment.

MITRE ATT&CK Mapping

KAPE is a defensive DFIR tool. The mapping reflects the data-source artifacts (local file system) that adversary actions leave behind and that KAPE preserves for investigation.

Workflow

1. Sync configurations and update binaries

Always work from current Targets/Modules and EZ Tools binaries so parsers match the latest artifact formats.

cd C:\KAPE
kape.exe --sync

2. Inventory available Targets and Modules

List what is available before building a collection so you scope precisely.

REM Show all Targets
kape.exe --tlist

REM Show all Modules
kape.exe --mlist

3. Collect a triage target set

Targets require the three switches --tsource, --target, and --tdest. --tflush clears the destination first. Use a compound target such as KapeTriage for a fast, broad pull.

kape.exe --tsource C: ^
         --target KapeTriage ^
         --tdest E:\kape_out\HOST01\tdest ^
         --tflush

4. Include Volume Shadow Copies

Add --vss to also process every VSS snapshot on the source volume, recovering historical artifact states.

kape.exe --tsource C: ^
         --target !SANS_Triage ^
         --tdest E:\kape_out\HOST01\tdest ^
         --vss --tflush