Cellebrite UFED
Definition
Cellebrite Universal Forensic Extraction Device. The dominant commercial mobile forensics platform in Indian state cyber cells and at CFSL Hyderabad. Combines acquisition (logical, file system, physical) with the Physical Analyzer analysis suite. Frequently paired with Magnet AXIOM for cross-validation.
- Full form
- Cellebrite Universal Forensic Extraction Device
- Acquisition types
- Logical, file system, physical
- Analysis suite
- Physical Analyzer
- India deployment
- State cyber cells and CFSL Hyderabad
- Common cross-validation tool
- Magnet AXIOM
Common questions
Why is cross-validation with a second tool like Magnet AXIOM standard practice?+
Different mobile forensic tools parse and decode app data slightly differently, and any single tool can misinterpret or miss an artifact. Running a second independent tool on the same extraction lets an examiner confirm findings before they go into a report.
What is the difference between UFED's logical and physical acquisition?+
A logical acquisition pulls only the data the device's operating system exposes, such as contacts and messages. A physical acquisition captures a bit-for-bit image of the device storage, including deleted and unallocated data the OS does not normally surface.
Related terms
- Chip-Off
- NIST SP 800-101 R1 Level 5 acquisition. Desoldering the NAND or eMMC chip from the PCB and reading it directly with a...
- Faraday Bag
- A signal-blocking pouch with conductive mesh lining that prevents cellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and NFC signals from reaching a seized phone. The standard...
- JTAG
- Joint Test Action Group standard (IEEE 1149.1) for chip-level debugging. The test access port left on a phone's PCB lets a forensic...
- Logical Extraction
- NIST SP 800-101 R1 Level 2 acquisition. Uses the OS-exposed backup APIs (Android ADB backup, iOS iTunes/Finder backup, MTP for media) to...
- Physical Extraction
- An acquisition method that reads the raw storage medium, producing a bit-for-bit image from which allocated and deleted data can both be...