Cookies

Cookies are small pieces of data stored on a user's device by web browsers at the request of websites visited. They play a crucial role in enhancing user experience by remembering login information, preferences, and tracking user activity across sessions and websites. From a digital forensics perspective, cookies are invaluable for providing insights into a user's online behavior, website visits, and activities on those sites. This deep dive will explore how cookies are stored across different browsers and operating systems and how they can be analyzed.

Cookie Storage Locations

Firefox

• Windows XP:

  %USERPROFILE%\Application Data\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<randomtext>.default\cookies.sqlite

• Windows 7 and Later:

  %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles\<randomtext>.default\cookies.sqlite

Firefox stores cookies in a SQLite database named cookies.sqlite within the user's profile directory.

Google Chrome

• Windows XP:

  %USERPROFILE%\Local Settings\Application Data\Google\Chrome\User Data\<Profile>\Cookies

• Windows 7 and Later:

  %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\<Profile>\Network\Cookies

Chrome initially stored cookies in a file named Cookies. In later versions, especially after significant updates around Chrome 80, cookie storage was moved to the Network\Cookies directory, still within the SQLite database format.

Microsoft Edge

• Windows 7 and Later:

  %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Edge\User Data\<Profile>\Network\Cookies

Being a Chromium-based browser, Edge follows a similar pattern to Chrome for cookie storage, utilizing the Network\Cookies path within the user's profile directory.

Analyzing Cookies

Cookies can be analyzed to extract various pieces of information, such as:

• Hostname/Domain: Identifies which website set the cookie, providing clues about the sites visited.

• Name and Value: The actual data stored in the cookie, which can include user identifiers, session tokens, or preferences.

• Path: The specific path on the domain where the cookie is valid.

• Expiration Date: Indicates when the cookie will expire and be automatically deleted by the browser.

• Creation and Last Accessed Time: Timestamps that can help build a timeline of when a website was visited and how often.

Forensic Analysis Tools and Techniques

To extract and analyze cookie data, forensic analysts typically use specialized software or scripts. Tools like DB Browser for SQLite or the SQLite command-line tool can open the cookies.sqlite or Cookies database files for examination. Analysts can run SQL queries to search for cookies from specific domains, identify cookies that have long expiration periods (which might indicate tracking cookies), or sort cookies by their creation or last access times to infer a timeline of web activity.

Privacy and Security Considerations

Cookies often contain sensitive information, making them a target for attackers and a concern for privacy. Forensic analysts must handle cookie data carefully, ensuring compliance with privacy laws and regulations. Additionally, the presence of cookies from known tracking domains or malicious sites can indicate security or privacy breaches.