Tag Archives: TrackerCat

Updates to GPS Utility (Timestamp Features)

Posted by on August 7, 2013 No comments

I decided to make some pretty solid changes to TrackerCat since my last post.  I wasn’t satisfied with it only converting GPX-to-KML. The new changes include the following:

  • Ability to recursively export all GPXs from a specified path (can be a mounted device image).
  • Extract and write all trackpoint timestamps to CSV  including archived files.  Optionally, you can choose to export Active Log names and times to its own CSV. While the latter isn’t as important to export as trackpoint times, it may still be useful to some.
  • Display a file’s metadata time tag during the timestamp dump. This is critical if the GPX file is the Current.gpx (akin to a last access, or rather, last power-on for some devices). These are not written to CSV as their importance differs depending on file and scenario.

To reduce spam, I’ll try to keep minor official updates to Twitter instead of posting here in the future . Hope the updates are useful!

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TrackerCat: GPX-to-KML Active Log Mapping Tool

Posted by on July 29, 2013 No comments

To supplement my GPS research, I created a simple tool for the extraction of Active Log data from GPX files. This tool will transform GPS device data files into keyhole markup language files for easy mapping (GPX to KML). The output can easily be opened in programs like Google Earth. This tool will provide analysts with a better understanding of data contained within GPXs and their Active Logs. The KMLs are complete with timestamps and trackpoint coordinates.

Prior to TrackerCat – and without the use of expensive utilities – analysts had to manually re-save exported GPX files as KMLs in mapping programs. TrackerCat automates the transformation process while striving to preserve as much forensic data as possible.

While the tool is really just a simple XML-to-XML XSLT transform script (that parses the appropriate formats), you can join the the project to improve its functionality! You can use the project’s Github to show off your own GPS device forensics scripts. Also be sure to check out the PowerPoint here.

Official Github Logo

Click on the Official GitHub logo above for TrackerCat’s reader-friendly GitHub landing page, or go right to the project’s GitHub.