Chainsaw is a fast forensic triage and threat hunting tool for Windows artefacts.
It helps investigators search and analyse data such as Windows Event Logs, the MFT, Shimcache, SRUM, registry hives, and ESE databases. The tool supports Sigma rules as well as custom Chainsaw detection rules, and it can be run on Linux, macOS, and Windows, which makes it a practical option for incident response teams working across different platforms.
This is free and open source software.
Key Features
- Searches Windows event logs and other forensic artefacts using string matching and regular expressions.
- Hunts for malicious activity with Sigma detection rules and custom Chainsaw detection rules.
- Builds execution timelines by analysing Shimcache artefacts and enriching them with Amcache data.
- Analyses the SRUM database to provide additional forensic insights.
- Dumps raw content from artefacts including the MFT, registry hives, and ESE databases.
- Outputs results in ASCII table, CSV, and JSON formats.
- Runs on Linux, macOS, and Windows.
Website: github.com/WithSecureLabs/chainsaw
Support:
Developer: WithSecureLabs
License: GNU General Public License v3.0

Chainsaw is written in Rust. Learn Rust with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
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