Volatility is a memory forensics framework and digital forensics tool designed to extract and analyze evidence from volatile computer memory dumps. It functions as a memory dump parser and analysis platform used to identify running processes, network connections, and loaded modules from a system RAM capture.
The framework enables the reconstruction of system state to uncover malicious activity, such as rootkits and injected code, during malware incident response and threat hunting. It provides capabilities for digital forensic investigations to detect unauthorized access and indicators of compromise that may not be present on physical disks.
The system utilizes a plugin-based analysis pipeline and symbol-based structure mapping to interpret raw binary images. It employs address-space translation and profile-driven offset resolution to locate and map operating system data structures within a raw memory dump.