# Background Activity Montitor

The Background Activity Monitor and Desktop Activity Monitor registry artifacts provide evidence of execution on an endpoint. It is only available in Windows 10 and Windows 11.

## Analysis Value

{% content-ref url="/pages/LRJZQZsAd12i4mDfGwuK" %}
[Security Identifier](/windows-forensics/artifacts-by-activity/account-activity/security-identifier.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="/pages/6Pmka7uFtKElhrhDdFDv" %}
[Last Executed](/windows-forensics/artifacts-by-activity/execution/last-executed.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="/pages/7PsIbY4z0aa7D6FfSddw" %}
[Execution Account](/windows-forensics/artifacts-by-activity/execution/execution-account.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="/pages/vnDLfD9RBoVh5UOGGhiw" %}
[Evidence of Execution](/windows-forensics/artifacts-by-activity/execution/evidence-of-execution.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

{% content-ref url="/pages/V3cDcDJogcr4slquHEzB" %}
[File Path](/windows-forensics/artifacts-by-activity/file-activity/file-path.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

## Operating System Availability

| Major Version | Support | Major Version | Support |
| ------------- | ------- | ------------- | ------- |
| Windows 11    | ✅       | Server 2019   | ❌       |
| Windows 10    | ⚠️      | Server 2016   | ❌       |
| Windows 8     | ❌       | Server 2012   | ❌       |
| Windows 7     | ❌       | Server 2008   | ❌       |
| Windows Vista | ❌       | Server 2003   | ❌       |
| Windows XP    | ❌       |               |         |

{% hint style="warning" %}
Background Activity Montitor is only available for Windows 10 systems with update 1709 (Redstone 3) and later.
{% endhint %}

## Artifact Location(s)

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="🔌 Offline System" %}
Newer Windows 10 Systems

* File: `%SystemRoot%\System32\config\SYSTEM`
* BAM: `SYSTEM\{CURRENT_CONTROL_SET}\Services\bam\state\UserSettings\{USER_SID}`
* DAM: `SYSTEM\{CURRENT_CONTROL_SET}\Services\dam\state\UserSettings\{USER_SID}`

Older Windows 10 Systems

* File: `%SystemRoot%\System32\config\SYSTEM`
* BAM: `SYSTEM\{CURRENT_CONTROL_SET}\Services\bam\UserSettings\{USER_SID}`
* DAM: `SYSTEM\{CURRENT_CONTROL_SET}\Services\dam\UserSettings\{USER_SID}`
  {% endtab %}

{% tab title="🔋 Live System" %}
Newer Windows 10 Systems

* BAM: `HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\bam\state\UserSettings\{USER_SID}`
* DAM: `HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\dam\state\UserSettings\{USER_SID}`

Older Windows 10 Systems

* BAM: `HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\bam\UserSettings\{USER_SID}`
* DAM: `HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\dam\UserSettings\{USER_SID}`
  {% endtab %}
  {% endtabs %}

{% hint style="info" %}
For more information on determining the correct `CurrentControlSet`, visit [Select Registry Key](/windows-forensics/artifacts-by-type/registry-artifacts/select.md)
{% endhint %}

## Artifact Parsers

* RegistryExplorer (Eric Zimmerman)

## Artifact Interpretation

The `Execution Time` as seen in RegistryExplorer represents the most recent time of execution for the binary in UTC. The `Program` field represents the full path the the binary.

{% hint style="info" %}
Based on testing, this execution time is written upon process creation, and again on termination.
{% endhint %}

In the event that you are parsing or interpreting this artifact manually, the following CyberChef recipe can be used to convert Windows FILETIME timestamps to a date and time:

```
[
  { "op": "From Hex",
    "args": ["Auto"] },
  { "op": "To Hex",
    "args": ["None", 0] },
  { "op": "Windows Filetime to UNIX Timestamp",
    "args": ["Milliseconds (ms)", "Hex (little endian)"] },
  { "op": "From UNIX Timestamp",
    "args": ["Milliseconds (ms)"] }
]
```

{% hint style="warning" %}
Console applications that are launched through a command line interface will not have BAM/DAM entries.
{% endhint %}

## Analysis Tips

{% hint style="success" %}

#### Suspicious Execution Locations

Search for BAM entries for executables that reside in suspicious locations, such as:

* User `Downloads` directories
* Other user profile directories such as `Desktop` or `Documents`
* `C:\Temp`
* `C:\PerfLogs`
  {% endhint %}

## Example: Execution Timestamp

* Path: `HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Services\bam\State\UserSettings\S-1-5-21-3471133136-2963561160-3931775028-1001`
* Key: `\Device\HarddiskVolume4\Program Files\PuTTY\putty.exe`
* Type: `REG_BINARY`
* Value: `60-9F-62-A8-FB-6C-D9-01-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-00-02-00-00-00`

The 64-Bit FILETIME timestamp `60-9F-62-A8-FB-6C-D9-01` resolves to `Wed 12 April 2023 05:00:10 UTC`, which is the last known execution of the binary `putty.exe`.

This example was produced on Windows 10, Version 10.0.19044 Build 19044


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Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
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```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
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Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.