SQLite Database Structures
This focused micro-course takes you deep into the internal structure of SQLite databases—essential knowledge for anyone involved in mobile forensic analysis. Whether you’re carving deleted messages, reconstructing fragmented images, or validating commercial tool findings, your ability to interpret SQLite internals can mean the difference between overlooked artifacts and breakthrough evidence.
SQLite databases don’t store data like traditional spreadsheets. Every entry—every chat, timestamp, BLOB, or metadata field—is organized across fixed-size pages, each with a precise role and internal format. This micro-course teaches you how to navigate those pages, extract hidden data, and recover what automated tools might miss.
- Most mobile apps rely on SQLite as their core storage mechanism—understanding its structure is fundamental
- Deleted data often remains embedded in page structures if you know where to look and how to interpret it
- Page-level analysis unlocks the ability to recover evidence missed by automated forensic tools
- Manual structure knowledge allows validation of commercial tool findings and identification of parsing errors
Unlike comprehensive forensic courses, this micro-course zeroes in specifically on SQLite database structures. You’ll gain deep, actionable knowledge in a concentrated format—perfect for busy professionals who need to master this critical skillset quickly and efficiently.
Decode SQLite’s first 100 bytes to reveal page size, version, freelist data, and allocation strategy
Differentiate between interior and leaf pages (0x05, 0x0D) and understand their specific roles
Understand how offsets, cell arrays, and pointers guide SQLite’s internal navigation
Identify space reuse patterns and trace deleted record remnants for forensic recovery
Master SQLite’s variable-length integers for precise record structure mapping and boundary identification
Follow overflow page chains to reconstruct large or fragmented binary artifacts and multimedia evidence