User Typed Paths

The user-typed paths feature in Windows, particularly the use of the File Explorer path bar, offers a direct method for users to navigate to specific file locations without the need to browse through folder hierarchies. This capability is especially useful for quickly accessing deeply nested directories or frequently used locations. The paths that users type into the File Explorer path bar are recorded in the Windows Registry under the TypedPaths key, providing a useful trail of user activity for forensic analysis. Here's a detailed overview based on the provided information and structured according to the template.

Overview

Description: The TypedPaths feature in Windows records the paths that users directly type into the File Explorer path bar. This functionality is crucial for digital forensic investigations as it reveals user interactions with the file system, including access to potentially sensitive or hidden locations, external drives, and network shares.

Functionality

File Management: Directly typing paths into the File Explorer path bar facilitates quick navigation to specific directories or files, bypassing the graphical user interface's folder structure.
User Interface: This feature directly interacts with the File Explorer path bar, a component of the File Explorer user interface.
Registry Configuration: User-typed paths are recorded in the Windows Registry under the key NTUSER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\TypedPaths. Each entry under this key represents a path that the user has manually entered into the File Explorer path bar.
Multiple Instances: Not applicable in the context of process instances, but multiple paths can be recorded under the TypedPaths key, reflecting the variety of locations accessed by the user.

Security Considerations

The TypedPaths key can reveal a user's knowledge of specific file system locations, which might include sensitive or hidden directories, as well as locations on external drives or network shares.
Analysis of the TypedPaths key can expose access patterns and potentially unauthorized or suspicious access to certain file locations.
Malicious actors with access to a user's profile could potentially manipulate these entries to obscure unauthorized access or to plant misleading information as part of a broader attack strategy.

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Last updated 1 year ago

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Overview

Functionality

File Management: Directly typing paths into the File Explorer path bar facilitates quick navigation to specific directories or files, bypassing the graphical user interface's folder structure.

User Interface: This feature directly interacts with the File Explorer path bar, a component of the File Explorer user interface.

Registry Configuration: User-typed paths are recorded in the Windows Registry under the key NTUSER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\TypedPaths. Each entry under this key represents a path that the user has manually entered into the File Explorer path bar.

Multiple Instances: Not applicable in the context of process instances, but multiple paths can be recorded under the TypedPaths key, reflecting the variety of locations accessed by the user.

Security Considerations

The TypedPaths key can reveal a user's knowledge of specific file system locations, which might include sensitive or hidden directories, as well as locations on external drives or network shares.

Analysis of the TypedPaths key can expose access patterns and potentially unauthorized or suspicious access to certain file locations.

Malicious actors with access to a user's profile could potentially manipulate these entries to obscure unauthorized access or to plant misleading information as part of a broader attack strategy.