Velociraptor
Endpoint visibility and digital forensics tool using VQL queries to collect system artifacts and hunt threats across hosts.
Technical Architecture & Overview
Velociraptor is an open-source endpoint visibility and digital forensics platform. It provides a powerful VQL (Velociraptor Query Language) for hunting across endpoints, collecting forensic artifacts, and performing incident response investigations at scale.
Targeted Technical Use Cases
Large-scale endpoint threat hunting, forensic artifact collection, and incident response investigations.
Evaluation & Trade-offs
Core Strengths
- +VQL query language enables complex endpoint investigations without custom scripts.
- +A single server deployment commonly serves 10,000 to 15,000 endpoints, with a multi-frontend architecture for larger fleets.
- +Built-in artifact definitions covering Windows, Linux, and macOS forensic sources.
Trade-Offs & Limitations
- -AGPL-3.0 license may restrict integration into proprietary security products.
- -Initial deployment and VQL learning curve require dedicated training.
Defensive Security Application
Rapid endpoint triage during incident response and continuous hunting for indicators of compromise.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Velociraptor?→
Velociraptor is an open-source endpoint visibility and digital forensics platform. It provides a powerful VQL (Velociraptor Query Language) for hunting across endpoints, collecting forensic artifacts, and performing incident response investigations at scale.
What is Velociraptor used for?→
Large-scale endpoint threat hunting, forensic artifact collection, and incident response investigations.
What are the strengths of Velociraptor?→
- +VQL query language enables complex endpoint investigations without custom scripts.
- +A single server deployment commonly serves 10,000 to 15,000 endpoints, with a multi-frontend architecture for larger fleets.
- +Built-in artifact definitions covering Windows, Linux, and macOS forensic sources.
What are the limitations of Velociraptor?→
- +AGPL-3.0 license may restrict integration into proprietary security products.
- +Initial deployment and VQL learning curve require dedicated training.
How is Velociraptor used defensively?→
Rapid endpoint triage during incident response and continuous hunting for indicators of compromise.