WhatsApp Mobile Applications in the Lens of Digital Forensics: Deciphering the Msgstore.db.crypt14 File

This study investigates the forensic analysis of WhatsApp’s Msgstore.db.crypt14 file, focusing on rooted and non-rooted devices, which pose unique challenges in data extraction and decryption. This research leverages forensic tools such as WhatsApp-Key-Database Extractor, Binwalk, and Mobile Edit to demonstrate a systematic approach for retrieving and analyzing encrypted data, uncovering hidden content, and extracting valuable metadata. The findings highlight the consistency of WhatsApp’s encryption mechanisms across rooted and non-rooted devices, emphasizing the importance of using multiple forensic tools for comprehensive analysis. Key contributions include insights into WhatsApp’s metadata, encryption keys, and the implications of phone number or device changes on data security. This study advances the field of digital forensics by offering practical methodologies for analyzing encrypted mobile messaging data, providing a foundation for future research into improving forensic tools and addressing privacy and ethical considerations.