Process Connection Volatility3 Plugin

[malfav]

proccon.py – Process Connectivity & Visualization (Volatility 3 Plugin)

proccon.py is a Volatility 3 plugin designed to provide process visualization and relationship mapping from a Windows memory dump.
While it does not perform direct forensic analysis, it serves as a critical utility for post-processing and visualizing process hierarchy data.

The plugin extracts Parent-Child process relationships and outputs them as a Graphviz DOT file, enabling investigators to generate graphical representations of the system’s process tree at the time of capture.

---

Key Capabilities

Process Tree Extraction

Efficiently iterates through the complete process list obtained via Volatility’s windows.pslist plugin to map:

• PID (Process ID) → PPID (Parent Process ID)

This provides a foundational dataset for visual process relationship mapping.

---

Graphviz DOT Output

Automatically generates a structured .dot file compatible with Graphviz visualization tools such as:

• dot
• neato
• Online renderers and graphing tools

This output can be rendered into network-style process trees, allowing investigators to:

• Visualize process spawning chains
• Detect irregular or unexpected parent-child relationships
• Identify suspicious execution flows in malware investigations

---

Visualization Focus

The plugin emphasizes connectivity and hierarchy, providing a clear visual representation of process structures that supports:

• Anomaly Detection: Spot abnormal or hidden parent-child relationships
• Malware Analysis: Map execution chains to trace malicious process origins
• System Understanding: Reveal the operational process tree at the time of memory capture

---