Cron Jobs

Overview

Evidence: Cron Jobs Description: Collect cron jobs Category: System Platform: AIX Short Name: cron Is Parsed: Yes Sent to Investigation Hub: Yes Collect File(s): No

Background

Cron jobs on AIX systems are scheduled tasks that run automatically at specified times or intervals. This data is essential for understanding system automation, detecting unauthorized scheduled tasks, and investigating time-based security incidents. Cron jobs provide evidence of automated processes, maintenance tasks, and potential persistence mechanisms used by attackers.

Data Collected

This collector gathers structured data about cron jobs.

Cron Jobs Data

Field	Description	Example
ID	Primary key (auto-increment)	1
Name	Record name	Example Record
Value	Record value	Example Value
Timestamp	Record timestamp	2023-10-15 14:30:25

Collection Method

This collector parses the necessary data from cron configuration files.

This collector collects files from the following locations:

• /etc/crontab

• /etc/cron.d/

• /var/spool/cron/

Usage

This evidence is crucial for forensic investigations as it provides information about scheduled tasks and automated processes on AIX systems. It helps investigators understand system automation, detect unauthorized scheduled tasks, and investigate time-based attacks. The data can reveal maintenance schedules, automated processes, and potential persistence mechanisms. Analysts can use this information to identify suspicious scheduled tasks, trace automated activities, and assess AIX system security posture.

Notes

This data may contain sensitive information that should be handled according to data protection requirements. Ensure proper chain of custody is maintained during collection and analysis.