ntfs-core 0.8.1

Pure-Rust from-scratch NTFS filesystem reader — MFT, attributes, indexes, data runs, over any Read + Seek source
Documentation
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167
168
169
170
171
172
173
174
175
176
177
178
179
180
181
182
183
184
185
186
187
188
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215
216
217
218
219
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244
245
246
247
248
249
250
251
252
253
254
255
256
257
258
259
260
261
262
263
264
265
266
267
268
269
270
271
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343
344
345
346
347
348
349
350
351
352
353
354
355
356
357
358
359
360
361
362
363
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391
392
393
394
395
396
397
398
399
400
401
402
403
404
405
406
407
408
409
410
411
412
413
414
415
416
417
418
419
420
421
422
423
424
425
426
427
428
429
430
431
432
433
434
//! Transaction reconstruction over decoded `$LogFile` LFS records.
//!
//! [`parse_log_records`](super::parse_log_records) decodes individual redo/undo
//! records; [`classify`](super::classify) labels each record's file operation.
//! This layer groups those records into the unit a forensic analyst actually
//! reasons about: a **transaction** — a single user/OS action whose redo/undo
//! records are committed (and applied) or rolled back as one atom.
//!
//! ## `transaction_id` is a reused table slot, not a unique id
//!
//! Every LFS client record carries a 4-byte field at offset `0x24` of the record
//! header that the Microsoft `LFS_RECORD` layout labels `TransactionId`. It is
//! tempting to read this as a unique per-transaction identifier and group on it
//! directly — but on real volumes it is **low-cardinality and reused**: it is the
//! index of the transaction's entry in NTFS's in-memory *open transaction table*,
//! and that slot is recycled as transactions commit and new ones begin. On the
//! real CITADEL-DC01 `$LogFile` there are only **8 distinct values** across 78,765
//! records (the busiest slot holds 26,274), so a single value spans thousands of
//! distinct logical transactions. Grouping purely on `transaction_id` therefore
//! yields a handful of giant *slot* groups, not transactions.
//!
//! The correct model is two-level:
//!
//! 1. **Slot** — partition records by `transaction_id` (the table slot). This is
//!    exactly what `LogFileParser`'s `lf_transaction_id` column reports, and the
//!    slot grouping is validated Tier-1 against it (per-slot LSN membership).
//! 2. **Transaction** — *within* each slot, in LSN order, a transaction is the run
//!    of records up to and including a **terminal**: `CommitTransaction` (0x1A) or
//!    `ForgetTransaction` (0x1B). A new run begins after each terminal (the slot is
//!    reused). A `CompensationLogRecord` (0x01) seen as a redo within a run marks
//!    that transaction [`TransactionState::Aborted`]; a run sealed by a terminal is
//!    [`TransactionState::Committed`] (a terminal wins over a compensation); a
//!    trailing run with no terminal is [`TransactionState::Incomplete`].
//!
//! Records of concurrent transactions are interleaved in LSN order across slots,
//! so contiguity in the global stream does not bound a transaction; the slot plus
//! the terminal does. The `client_previous_lsn` / `client_undo_next_lsn`
//! back-pointers are the redo/undo *replay* chain, not the grouping key.
//!
//! Sources for the model:
//!
//! - **Microsoft `LFS_RECORD` / flatcap `linux-ntfs` `$LogFile` docs** —
//!   `TransactionId` at offset `0x24`; the open-transaction-table / restart model.
//!   <https://flatcap.github.io/linux-ntfs/ntfs/files/logfile.html>
//! - **`TZWorks` `mala` users guide** — records of concurrent transactions are
//!   interleaved; the previous-record pointer chains a transaction but adjacency
//!   does not bound it.
//!   <https://tzworks.com/prototypes/mala/mala.users.guide.pdf>
//! - **msuhanov `dfir_ntfs/LogFile.py`** — `get_transaction_id()` is the table
//!   slot; the transaction table is implied from the log records, not a unique id.
//!   <https://github.com/msuhanov/dfir_ntfs/blob/master/dfir_ntfs/LogFile.py>
//! - **Brian Carrier, *File System Forensic Analysis* (2005), ch. 13** — the
//!   redo/undo transaction model and commit/abort recovery passes.
//!
//! ## Why the terminal is read on the *redo* opcode
//!
//! NTFS writes a `ForgetTransaction` record with `undo = CompensationLogRecord`
//! (its inverse). Terminal/abort detection therefore reads the **redo** opcode —
//! the operation the record performs — never the undo field, or every
//! Forget-sealed transaction would falsely look aborted.

use super::{LogOp, LogRecord};

/// The recovery disposition of a reconstructed [`Transaction`], derived from the
/// terminal / compensation opcode that bounds its run within a slot.
#[derive(Debug, Clone, Copy, PartialEq, Eq)]
pub enum TransactionState {
    /// A `CommitTransaction` (0x1A) or `ForgetTransaction` (0x1B) record sealed
    /// the run — its redo records were applied (or are replayable). A terminal
    /// seal wins even if the run also carried a compensation (sub-action undo).
    Committed,
    /// A `CompensationLogRecord` (0x01) redo appeared in the run with no
    /// terminal — the transaction was rolled back, its effects undone.
    Aborted,
    /// The trailing run of a slot ended without a terminal: the records exist but
    /// the commit/forget that would seal them was not recovered (e.g. the log
    /// wrapped over it in the circular buffer). The final disposition is unknown.
    Incomplete,
}

/// One terminal-bounded run of `$LogFile` LFS records within a transaction-table
/// slot — a single logical transaction (one user/OS action) NTFS commits or rolls
/// back as a whole.
///
/// `transaction_id` is the *slot* the run occupied (the reused
/// open-transaction-table index, LFS header offset `0x24`); many [`Transaction`]s
/// can share one `transaction_id`. `records` holds **indices into the slice passed
/// to [`reconstruct_transactions`]**, ascending by LSN (replay order); `lsns`
/// carries each record's `this_lsn` (the run's LSN set, comparable against an
/// oracle without re-indexing); `operations` is the parallel
/// [`FileOperation`](super::FileOperation) classification.
#[derive(Debug, Clone, PartialEq, Eq)]
pub struct Transaction {
    /// The transaction-table **slot** this run occupied (LFS header offset
    /// `0x24`). Reused across transactions — not a unique transaction id.
    pub transaction_id: u32,
    /// Indices into the source record slice, ascending by LSN.
    pub records: Vec<usize>,
    /// Each member record's `this_lsn`, ascending — the run's LSN set.
    pub lsns: Vec<u64>,
    /// Per-record file-operation classification, parallel to `records`.
    pub operations: Vec<super::FileOperation>,
    /// Recovery disposition derived from the terminal / compensation opcode.
    pub state: TransactionState,
}

/// Reconstruct individual transactions from decoded LFS [`LogRecord`]s.
///
/// Partitions records by `transaction_id` (the transaction-table slot), then
/// within each slot — in ascending `this_lsn` (replay) order — splits the stream
/// into transactions at each terminal (`CommitTransaction` 0x1A /
/// `ForgetTransaction` 0x1B). Each emitted [`Transaction`] is one terminal-bounded
/// run (or the trailing un-terminated run), classified [`TransactionState`] from
/// its terminal / `CompensationLogRecord` (0x01) redo.
///
/// Returned transactions are ordered by the lowest LSN they contain, so the
/// output reads in log order. Every input record lands in exactly one
/// transaction — none is dropped, including transaction-control records and
/// records whose opcode is [`LogOp::Unknown`].
#[must_use]
pub fn reconstruct_transactions(records: &[LogRecord]) -> Vec<Transaction> {
    use std::collections::HashMap;

    // Level 1 — partition record indices by transaction-table slot.
    let mut slots: HashMap<u32, Vec<usize>> = HashMap::new();
    for (idx, rec) in records.iter().enumerate() {
        slots.entry(rec.transaction_id).or_default().push(idx);
    }

    let mut txns: Vec<Transaction> = Vec::new();
    for (transaction_id, mut indices) in slots {
        // Replay order within the slot.
        indices.sort_by_key(|&i| records[i].this_lsn);

        // Level 2 — split the slot stream into terminal-bounded runs. A run ends
        // *after* a terminal redo; a compensation redo within a run marks it
        // aborted (unless a later terminal in the same run seals it).
        let mut run: Vec<usize> = Vec::new();
        let mut compensated = false;
        for &i in &indices {
            run.push(i);
            // Read terminal/abort on the REDO opcode only — a Forget's undo field
            // is CompensationLogRecord by construction and must not abort it.
            match records[i].redo_op {
                LogOp::CommitTransaction | LogOp::ForgetTransaction => {
                    txns.push(build_transaction(
                        transaction_id,
                        std::mem::take(&mut run),
                        records,
                        TransactionState::Committed,
                    ));
                    compensated = false;
                }
                LogOp::CompensationLogRecord => compensated = true,
                _ => {}
            }
        }
        // Trailing records with no terminal: aborted if a compensation appeared,
        // otherwise incomplete (the sealing terminal was not recovered).
        if !run.is_empty() {
            let state = if compensated {
                TransactionState::Aborted
            } else {
                TransactionState::Incomplete
            };
            txns.push(build_transaction(transaction_id, run, records, state));
        }
    }

    // Log order: by the lowest LSN each transaction owns. Every run is non-empty
    // by construction, so `first` is always present.
    txns.sort_by_key(|t| t.lsns.first().copied().unwrap_or(u64::MAX));
    txns
}

/// Assemble a [`Transaction`] from an LSN-ordered run of record indices.
fn build_transaction(
    transaction_id: u32,
    records_idx: Vec<usize>,
    all: &[LogRecord],
    state: TransactionState,
) -> Transaction {
    let mut lsns = Vec::with_capacity(records_idx.len());
    let mut operations = Vec::with_capacity(records_idx.len());
    for &i in &records_idx {
        lsns.push(all[i].this_lsn);
        operations.push(super::classify(all[i].redo_op, all[i].undo_op));
    }
    Transaction {
        transaction_id,
        records: records_idx,
        lsns,
        operations,
        state,
    }
}

#[cfg(test)]
mod tests {
    use super::*;
    use crate::logfile::FileOperation;

    /// Build a minimal [`LogRecord`] carrying just the fields transaction
    /// reconstruction reads: LSN, transaction-table slot, redo/undo opcodes.
    fn rec(this_lsn: u64, slot: u32, redo: LogOp, undo: LogOp) -> LogRecord {
        LogRecord {
            page_offset: 0,
            this_lsn,
            client_previous_lsn: 0,
            client_undo_next_lsn: 0,
            record_type: 1,
            transaction_id: slot,
            redo_op: redo,
            undo_op: undo,
            target_attribute: 0,
            mft_cluster_index: 0,
            target_vcn: 0,
        }
    }

    // ── terminal split (the corrected model) ─────────────────────────────────

    // A slot reused across two committed transactions splits into TWO
    // transactions at each ForgetTransaction terminal, NOT one slot-group.
    #[test]
    fn reused_slot_splits_into_two_transactions() {
        let recs = vec![
            rec(10, 0x40, LogOp::InitializeFileRecordSegment, LogOp::Noop),
            rec(
                11,
                0x40,
                LogOp::ForgetTransaction,
                LogOp::CompensationLogRecord,
            ),
            rec(12, 0x40, LogOp::CreateAttribute, LogOp::DeleteAttribute),
            rec(
                13,
                0x40,
                LogOp::ForgetTransaction,
                LogOp::CompensationLogRecord,
            ),
        ];
        let txns = reconstruct_transactions(&recs);
        assert_eq!(txns.len(), 2, "one slot, two terminals => two transactions");
        assert_eq!(txns[0].lsns, vec![10, 11]);
        assert_eq!(txns[0].state, TransactionState::Committed);
        assert_eq!(txns[1].lsns, vec![12, 13]);
        assert_eq!(txns[1].state, TransactionState::Committed);
        // Both carry the same reused slot.
        assert_eq!(txns[0].transaction_id, 0x40);
        assert_eq!(txns[1].transaction_id, 0x40);
    }

    // CommitTransaction (0x1A) is also a terminal.
    #[test]
    fn commit_is_a_terminal() {
        let recs = vec![
            rec(1, 5, LogOp::InitializeFileRecordSegment, LogOp::Noop),
            rec(2, 5, LogOp::CommitTransaction, LogOp::Noop),
            rec(3, 5, LogOp::CreateAttribute, LogOp::DeleteAttribute),
            rec(4, 5, LogOp::CommitTransaction, LogOp::Noop),
        ];
        let txns = reconstruct_transactions(&recs);
        assert_eq!(txns.len(), 2);
        assert!(txns.iter().all(|t| t.state == TransactionState::Committed));
    }

    // A Forget record's undo field is CompensationLogRecord by construction; it
    // must be read as Committed, NOT Aborted (terminal read on redo only).
    #[test]
    fn forget_with_compensation_undo_is_committed_not_aborted() {
        let recs = vec![rec(
            1,
            7,
            LogOp::ForgetTransaction,
            LogOp::CompensationLogRecord,
        )];
        let txns = reconstruct_transactions(&recs);
        assert_eq!(txns.len(), 1);
        assert_eq!(txns[0].state, TransactionState::Committed);
    }

    // A CompensationLogRecord redo with no terminal => Aborted.
    #[test]
    fn compensation_redo_without_terminal_is_aborted() {
        let recs = vec![
            rec(1, 9, LogOp::InitializeFileRecordSegment, LogOp::Noop),
            rec(2, 9, LogOp::CompensationLogRecord, LogOp::Noop),
        ];
        let txns = reconstruct_transactions(&recs);
        assert_eq!(txns.len(), 1);
        assert_eq!(txns[0].state, TransactionState::Aborted);
    }

    // A run that compensates a sub-action then commits is Committed (terminal
    // wins), and the compensation flag does not leak into the NEXT run.
    #[test]
    fn terminal_wins_over_compensation_and_flag_resets() {
        let recs = vec![
            rec(1, 3, LogOp::InitializeFileRecordSegment, LogOp::Noop),
            rec(2, 3, LogOp::CompensationLogRecord, LogOp::Noop),
            rec(3, 3, LogOp::CommitTransaction, LogOp::Noop),
            // Next run in the same slot: a clean incomplete trailing run.
            rec(4, 3, LogOp::CreateAttribute, LogOp::DeleteAttribute),
        ];
        let txns = reconstruct_transactions(&recs);
        assert_eq!(txns.len(), 2);
        assert_eq!(txns[0].lsns, vec![1, 2, 3]);
        assert_eq!(txns[0].state, TransactionState::Committed);
        // The trailing run must NOT inherit the previous run's compensation.
        assert_eq!(txns[1].lsns, vec![4]);
        assert_eq!(txns[1].state, TransactionState::Incomplete);
    }

    // Trailing records after the last terminal, with no compensation => Incomplete.
    #[test]
    fn trailing_run_without_terminal_is_incomplete() {
        let recs = vec![
            rec(1, 1, LogOp::InitializeFileRecordSegment, LogOp::Noop),
            rec(2, 1, LogOp::ForgetTransaction, LogOp::CompensationLogRecord),
            rec(3, 1, LogOp::CreateAttribute, LogOp::DeleteAttribute),
        ];
        let txns = reconstruct_transactions(&recs);
        assert_eq!(txns.len(), 2);
        assert_eq!(txns[1].lsns, vec![3]);
        assert_eq!(txns[1].state, TransactionState::Incomplete);
    }

    // ── slot grouping + interleaving ─────────────────────────────────────────

    // Records of two concurrent slots interleaved in LSN order split into the
    // correct per-slot transactions (the mala example, slot-keyed).
    #[test]
    fn separates_interleaved_slots() {
        let recs = vec![
            rec(21, 1, LogOp::InitializeFileRecordSegment, LogOp::Noop),
            rec(22, 1, LogOp::CreateAttribute, LogOp::DeleteAttribute),
            rec(23, 2, LogOp::InitializeFileRecordSegment, LogOp::Noop),
            rec(24, 1, LogOp::CommitTransaction, LogOp::Noop),
            rec(25, 2, LogOp::CreateAttribute, LogOp::DeleteAttribute),
            rec(26, 2, LogOp::CommitTransaction, LogOp::Noop),
        ];
        let txns = reconstruct_transactions(&recs);
        assert_eq!(txns.len(), 2);
        // Ordered by lowest LSN: slot 1's transaction first.
        assert_eq!(txns[0].transaction_id, 1);
        assert_eq!(txns[0].lsns, vec![21, 22, 24]);
        assert_eq!(txns[1].transaction_id, 2);
        assert_eq!(txns[1].lsns, vec![23, 25, 26]);
    }

    // Records must be held in ascending LSN order within a transaction even when
    // the source slice presents the slot's records out of order.
    #[test]
    fn orders_records_by_lsn_within_slot() {
        let recs = vec![
            rec(30, 5, LogOp::CommitTransaction, LogOp::Noop),
            rec(28, 5, LogOp::InitializeFileRecordSegment, LogOp::Noop),
            rec(29, 5, LogOp::CreateAttribute, LogOp::DeleteAttribute),
        ];
        let txns = reconstruct_transactions(&recs);
        assert_eq!(txns.len(), 1);
        assert_eq!(txns[0].lsns, vec![28, 29, 30]);
        assert_eq!(txns[0].records, vec![1, 2, 0]);
    }

    // Every input record lands in exactly one transaction — none dropped.
    #[test]
    fn assigns_every_record_exactly_once() {
        let recs = vec![
            rec(1, 1, LogOp::InitializeFileRecordSegment, LogOp::Noop),
            rec(2, 2, LogOp::InitializeFileRecordSegment, LogOp::Noop),
            rec(3, 1, LogOp::CommitTransaction, LogOp::Noop),
            rec(4, 3, LogOp::InitializeFileRecordSegment, LogOp::Noop),
        ];
        let txns = reconstruct_transactions(&recs);
        let total: usize = txns.iter().map(|t| t.records.len()).sum();
        assert_eq!(total, recs.len(), "no record dropped");
        let mut seen: Vec<usize> = txns
            .iter()
            .flat_map(|t| t.records.iter().copied())
            .collect();
        seen.sort_unstable();
        assert_eq!(seen, vec![0, 1, 2, 3], "each index assigned exactly once");
    }

    // operations is parallel to records and carries the classification.
    #[test]
    fn operations_parallel_records() {
        let recs = vec![
            rec(1, 9, LogOp::InitializeFileRecordSegment, LogOp::Noop),
            rec(2, 9, LogOp::CommitTransaction, LogOp::Noop),
        ];
        let txns = reconstruct_transactions(&recs);
        assert_eq!(
            txns[0].operations,
            vec![FileOperation::Create, FileOperation::TransactionControl]
        );
    }

    // An unrecognized opcode must not silently drop the record: a record with an
    // Unknown opcode is still grouped and counted.
    #[test]
    fn unknown_opcode_record_is_retained() {
        let recs = vec![
            rec(1, 6, LogOp::Unknown(0x40), LogOp::Unknown(0x41)),
            rec(2, 6, LogOp::CommitTransaction, LogOp::Noop),
        ];
        let txns = reconstruct_transactions(&recs);
        assert_eq!(txns.len(), 1);
        assert_eq!(txns[0].records.len(), 2);
        assert_eq!(txns[0].operations[0], FileOperation::Unknown(0x40, 0x41));
        assert_eq!(txns[0].state, TransactionState::Committed);
    }

    // EndTopLevelAction / PrepareTransaction are NOT terminals — a run carrying
    // only those is the trailing Incomplete run (no commit/forget/compensation).
    #[test]
    fn prepare_and_end_top_level_are_not_terminals() {
        let recs = vec![
            rec(1, 4, LogOp::PrepareTransaction, LogOp::Noop),
            rec(2, 4, LogOp::EndTopLevelAction, LogOp::Noop),
        ];
        let txns = reconstruct_transactions(&recs);
        assert_eq!(txns.len(), 1, "no terminal => single trailing run");
        assert_eq!(txns[0].state, TransactionState::Incomplete);
        assert_eq!(txns[0].records.len(), 2);
    }

    #[test]
    fn empty_input_yields_no_transactions() {
        assert!(reconstruct_transactions(&[]).is_empty());
    }
}