Android Mobile Device Forensics: Why the Extras Directory is Essential to Parse Android Apps in Cellebrite Physical Analyzer
In this week’s Tip Tuesdays Android Mobile Device Forensics episode, Heather Mahalik shares a common issue related to parsing Android devices in Physical Analyzer.
Some are seeing issues with Physical Analyzer not parsing their Android devices correctly—specifically missing application data.
The parsing outcome depends on whether a full file system extraction of the Android device was obtained.
To ensure proper parsing, users should check if the extraction contains the ‘Extras’ directory.
If the ‘Extras’ directory is missing, some applications may not be parsed correctly in Physical Analyzer.
Users should also verify the presence of the ‘Key Store’ in the file system of the extraction.
Checking the extraction file (zip or tar) for the ‘Extras’ directory is crucial.
Without a full file system extraction, certain chats and items may be missing during analysis.
Note: Obtaining a full file system extraction is necessary to extract the maximum information from mobile devices.
