Cron Jobs
Overview
Evidence: Cron Jobs Description: Collect Cron Jobs Category: System Platform: Linux Short Name: cronjobs Is Parsed: Yes Sent to Investigation Hub: Yes Collect File(s): No
Background
Linux cron jobs provide information about scheduled tasks and automated processes. This data is essential for understanding system automation, detecting unauthorized scheduled tasks, and investigating persistence mechanisms.
Data Collected
This collector gathers structured data about cron jobs.
Cron Jobs Data
ID
Primary key (auto-increment)
1
Minute
Minute field (0-59)
0
Hour
Hour field (0-23)
2
DayOfMonth
Day of month field (1-31)
*
Month
Month field (1-12)
*
DayOfWeek
Day of week field (0-7)
*
Command
Command to execute
/usr/bin/backup.sh
Path
Cron file path
/etc/crontab
Event
Special event (e.g., @hourly)
Collection Method
This collector parses the necessary data from the cron_jobs
table.
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 scheduled task information. It helps investigators understand system automation, detect unauthorized scheduled tasks, and investigate persistence-based attacks. The data can reveal scheduled tasks, automation patterns, and potential persistence mechanisms. Analysts can use this information to identify persistence compromises, trace scheduled activities, and assess automation 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.
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