![]() ![]() SFC Scan allows for a quick system repair of corrupted or missing system files. The identification and removal of the malware was done in less than 10 minutes, a great solution to a messed up system.ĭuring the analysis of an intrusion, system files may be identified that have been modified maliciously to stop the system from booting or stopping other assessment or recovery tools from operating. Malware that infects a system at the kernel level may be able to mask itself while the operating system is booted being able to scan the system offline often identifies malicious code not visible during a traditional system scan with anti-virus, shown in Figure 2.ĭuring analysis of the DaRT capabilities, the author took a bootable WinRE image loaded up with DaRT 6.5 and Standalone System Sweeper and removed several instances of Fake AV 2011 from a family member’s PC that was previously rendered unusable. Standalone System Sweeper can be used to identify and remove this malicious code from a system. One of the most common incidents desktop support technicians tend to come across in the field (both in the consumer space and the enterprise space) is a system that has been thoroughly infested with malware, especially particularly nasty malware that shuts down or otherwise disables the anti-malware software running on the system. Standalone System Sweeper is one of the most useful tools in the DaRT arsenal in this author’s opinion. ![]() There are lots of capabilities in the toolkit, but for the purposes of this article we’ll focus on what’s most useful from an incident response perspective. Once DaRT is built (full instructions available on building the media can be located here), the user is presented with a list of available tools to launch at the root menu, shown in Figure 1. DaRT also has a pretty minimal hardware footprint requirement as well a 1GHz x86 or 圆4 processor with 1GB of RAM and the ability to boot from removable media should suffice. ![]() This set of tools is used to repair startup issues, perform a full system restore, etc. If you’ve ever booted a Windows Vista or Windows 7 system in recovery mode, the WinRE environment is probably familiar to you. DaRT is built on top of a framework called the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). Since DaRT 7 is currently in beta, we’ll be focusing on the current shipping release from Microsoft – DaRT 6.5. This capability allows an IT Pro or helpdesk analyst to troubleshoot and diagnose a PC without visiting it in person. ![]() It’s worth noting that DaRT version 7 (currently in beta and available for download via the Microsoft Connect Site here) can now be used via the network with a new capability called ‘Software Based Remoting’. DaRT is intended to be used locally by a tech-savvy IT person it’s definitely not a ‘boot it and forget’ end user solution in this author’s opinion. The typical organization that’s leveraging DaRT will provide a bootable image for each of their desktop support technicians to carry with them as they make calls to repair or diagnose systems. MDOP is often sold with Windows Client and is available via the usual Microsoft software channels (TechNet, MSDN, Microsoft Volume Licensing, etc.), so check with your licensing specialist or reseller to see if you may already own access to the tool.ĭaRT is a collection of tools that is loaded onto a bootable device, often a USB flash drive. DaRT cannot be licensed as a one-off product it’s one of the tools included in the ever evolving set of products that make up the Microsoft Desktop Optimization Pack (MDOP). DaRT also has a number of great security capabilities integrated into it, providing your ‘first responders’ in the desktop support team to clean systems or identify potentially compromised systems that require further analysis back at HQ.ĭaRT is also owned by many current Microsoft customers that may not be taking advantage of it. DaRT was originally built to provide corporate desktop recovery services, diagnose poorly behaving machines and quickly making a determination of which devices can be resuscitated and which should be re-imaged. Microsoft has been making periodic updates to a tool known as the Diagnostics and Recovery Toolset (DaRT). A lot of companies start by evaluating pricey specialized tools for incident response activities, but what if there’s a good way to get started with some Incident Response basics with what you may already own? How quickly and effectively an organization responds to a security incident is a critical part of its security strategy. However, let’s face it, bad stuff is going to happen. Being able to plan for and implement preventative controls to secure your environment is great. While building a security program, one of the most important elements to include is what to do when things go wrong. ![]()
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