Skip to content

Chainsaw

What Chainsaw does

Using this tool

Chainsaw supports event log analysis. In this guide, you will use it to apply a focused hunt to supplied EVTX files and validate one rule match. Follow the steps below and keep the output with your notes.

Tool guide at a glance

Investigation task

Apply a focused hunt to supplied EVTX files and validate one rule match.

Starting material

A training EVTX set with host, channel, audit, and time zone context.

What to record

A validated event sequence with complete fields, surrounding records, and corroboration.

Evidence and safety

Treat rule matches as leads. Preserve EVTX files and do not rely on an event title or identifier alone. Record the input identifier, tool version, relevant commands or settings, time and time zone, output location, and any errors or limitations as you work.

Choose your journey

01Understand the evidenceLearn the event log analysis concepts and limitations.Complete when you can explain what the evidence can and cannot show.Beginner · No tool required 02Follow the Chainsaw guideFollow the steps and screenshots below.Complete when the documented workflow produces its expected output.Guided · SUSA workstation · Time varies 03Interactive labPractise the tool workflow in a safe browser simulation.Complete when the guided result is supported by the case evidence.Beginner · Browser only 04Full LabUse your own training data, keep the output and explain what you found.Complete when another analyst can reproduce and verify the outcome.Intermediate · Isolated lab

How the labs complement this guide

The Interactive Lab uses example records to practise investigation decisions. It does not run the installed tool or establish how that version behaves. The Full Lab uses your own training environment and evidence. Obtain or create the required input before starting; a case name in an exercise is not a download.

Accessing Chainsaw in SUSA

Chainsaw is a tool used to identify threats in Windows artefacts such as Event Logs and the MFT, supporting keyword searches and detection using Sigma rules and custom rules.

Download Chainsaw for Windows.

Extract the downloaded zip archive to C:\Tools. This will create a folder called chainsaw and extract contents in that folder.

Open a command prompt and navigate to C:\Tools\chainsaw. Clone the Sigma Rules and EVTX-Attack-Samples repositories:

cd C:\Tools\chainsaw
git clone https://github.com/SigmaHQ/sigma
git clone https://github.com/sbousseaden/EVTX-ATTACK-SAMPLES.git

Run Chainsaw with the parameters below to test it works without an error. This command will hunt through all evtx files using Sigma rules for detection logic and output in CSV format to the results folder.

.\chainsaw hunt EVTX-ATTACK-SAMPLES/ -s sigma/ --mapping mappings/sigma-event-logs-all.yml --csv --output results

You can view the sigma.csv with Timeline Explorer.