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Vol. 1 · Ed. 2026
CyberGlossary
English
Entry № 1021

RegRipper

What is RegRipper?

RegRipperAn open-source Windows registry forensics tool by Harlan Carvey that runs plug-in 'extractors' over registry hives (NTUSER.DAT, SYSTEM, SOFTWARE, SAM, SECURITY) to surface specific artifacts of investigative interest.

RegRipper, written by Harlan Carvey and maintained on GitHub, is the de facto open-source tool for triaging Windows registry hives. Where a generic registry viewer (Registry Explorer, regedit) lets an analyst browse, RegRipper runs a curated library of Perl plug-ins that each target a specific artifact — RecentDocs, ShellBags, UserAssist, AppCompatCache, AmCache, USB device history, installed software, persistent run keys, services, scheduled tasks, network interfaces, Office MRU, and many more. Plug-ins emit consistently formatted text suitable for inclusion in a forensic report or for line-by-line review. RegRipper is normally pointed at offline copies of `NTUSER.DAT`, `UsrClass.dat`, `SOFTWARE`, `SYSTEM`, `SAM`, `SECURITY` extracted from a disk image or live system, and is most often used after autopsy/imaging tools have collected the relevant hives. Recent versions added support for the BCD hive and several new persistence-mechanism plug-ins reflecting modern adversary tradecraft.

● Examples

  1. 01

    An IR triage runs RegRipper's `userassist`, `runmru`, and `recentdocs` plug-ins against a suspect's NTUSER.DAT to reconstruct recent program launches and document opens.

  2. 02

    A persistence-focused pass executes `services`, `run`, and `appcompatcache` against the SYSTEM hive of every endpoint imaged during the engagement.

● Frequently asked questions

What is RegRipper?

An open-source Windows registry forensics tool by Harlan Carvey that runs plug-in 'extractors' over registry hives (NTUSER.DAT, SYSTEM, SOFTWARE, SAM, SECURITY) to surface specific artifacts of investigative interest. It belongs to the Forensics & IR category of cybersecurity.

What does RegRipper mean?

An open-source Windows registry forensics tool by Harlan Carvey that runs plug-in 'extractors' over registry hives (NTUSER.DAT, SYSTEM, SOFTWARE, SAM, SECURITY) to surface specific artifacts of investigative interest.

How does RegRipper work?

RegRipper, written by Harlan Carvey and maintained on GitHub, is the de facto open-source tool for triaging Windows registry hives. Where a generic registry viewer (Registry Explorer, regedit) lets an analyst browse, RegRipper runs a curated library of Perl plug-ins that each target a specific artifact — RecentDocs, ShellBags, UserAssist, AppCompatCache, AmCache, USB device history, installed software, persistent run keys, services, scheduled tasks, network interfaces, Office MRU, and many more. Plug-ins emit consistently formatted text suitable for inclusion in a forensic report or for line-by-line review. RegRipper is normally pointed at offline copies of `NTUSER.DAT`, `UsrClass.dat`, `SOFTWARE`, `SYSTEM`, `SAM`, `SECURITY` extracted from a disk image or live system, and is most often used after autopsy/imaging tools have collected the relevant hives. Recent versions added support for the BCD hive and several new persistence-mechanism plug-ins reflecting modern adversary tradecraft.

How do you defend against RegRipper?

Defences for RegRipper typically combine technical controls and operational practices, as detailed in the full definition above.

What are other names for RegRipper?

Common alternative names include: RegRipper3, rip.exe.

● Related terms