fibratus

Pros of UIforETW

• User-friendly graphical interface for ETW tracing
• Integrates well with Windows Performance Analyzer (WPA)
• Supports a wide range of ETW providers and customizable tracing options

Cons of UIforETW

• Limited to Windows operating systems
• Requires more system resources due to its GUI nature
• Less suitable for automated or scripted tracing scenarios

Code Comparison

UIforETW (C++):

void CUIforETWDlg::OnBnClickedStarttracing()
{
    StartTracingThread();
    UpdateEnabling();
}

Fibratus (Python):

def start_capture():
    with KcapHandle() as handle:
        handle.start_capture()
    update_ui()

Key Differences

• UIforETW focuses on GUI-based ETW tracing, while Fibratus is a command-line tool for kernel event capturing
• UIforETW is Windows-specific, whereas Fibratus aims for cross-platform compatibility
• Fibratus offers more programmatic control and integration possibilities due to its Python codebase
• UIforETW provides better visualization and analysis tools through its integration with WPA

Both tools serve different use cases and target audiences, with UIforETW being more suitable for Windows developers and performance analysts, while Fibratus caters to security researchers and system administrators looking for a lightweight, scriptable solution.

Pros of Windows Event Forwarding

• Focused on Windows event forwarding and collection
• Provides comprehensive documentation and deployment guides
• Integrates well with existing Windows infrastructure

Cons of Windows Event Forwarding

• Limited to Windows event logs only
• Requires more complex setup and configuration
• Less flexible for custom event types or non-Windows systems

Code Comparison

Windows Event Forwarding (WEF configuration example):

<Subscription>
  <SubscriptionId>Security</SubscriptionId>
  <SubscriptionType>SourceInitiated</SubscriptionType>
  <ContentFormat>RenderedText</ContentFormat>
  <Heartbeat>86400</Heartbeat>
  <Query>
    <![CDATA[
      <QueryList>
        <Query Id="0">
          <Select Path="Security">*</Select>
        </Query>
      </QueryList>
    ]]>
  </Query>
</Subscription>

Fibratus (Python code example):

from fibratus.handle import HandleInfo
from fibratus.kevent import KEvent
from fibratus.apidefs.process import PROCESS_QUERY_INFORMATION

@kfilter
def process_open_handle(ketype, kevent, **kwargs):
    if ketype == 'CreateHandle' and kevent.handle_info.type == HandleInfo.FILE:
        print(f"Process {kevent.process.name} opened file: {kevent.handle_info.name}")

While Windows Event Forwarding focuses on collecting and forwarding Windows event logs, Fibratus provides a more flexible and programmable approach to Windows kernel monitoring. Fibratus allows for custom filtering and handling of various system events, making it more suitable for advanced monitoring and analysis scenarios.