Alternate data streamsĪlternate data streams (ADS) are a feature of the NTFS file system. Since this folder contains files vital to the functionality of the operating system, most users won’t look there, let alone terminate or delete a potentially suspicious file that is located there. However, files located there can still execute and cause damage.Īnother example of an unusual location is the System32 folder on Windows. Most users ignore the Recycle Bin and may believe that anything there has already been dealt with by an antivirus. One example of this is placing a malicious file in the Recycle Bin on Windows. While the user can easily see these files if they are looking for them, they’re unlikely to do so. Unexpected locationsĪnother simple means of hiding files from a user is by placing them in unexpected locations. The technique is well known, and it is easy to set Windows File Explorer or ls on *nix to show even hidden files. While this technique is probably the easiest means of hiding files, it’s also the easiest to detect. On Linux, any file whose filename begins with a period is marked as hidden by default. On Windows, files can be marked as hidden through the use of attrib.exe or through File Explorer. This functionality is built into most operating systems and is intended to ensure that users do not mess with files that they shouldn’t. One of the simplest and most well-known methods of hiding files is using the hidden files attribute. In this section, we provide a brief introduction to each of these techniques and an overview of some of their pros and cons. Some of the options for hiding files on a system include: More accessible methods, on the other hand, are much easier to detect.ĭifferent means of hiding files may be specific to different operating systems, but many are generally applicable. While some methods may be extremely difficult for a user to detect, they also require elevated privileges on the system. In general, there is a tradeoff between the effectiveness of the hiding techniques and the level of privileges necessary to accomplish them. When trying to hide files on a computer, there are a variety of different options.
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