As I’ve been working through different cybersecurity challenges, Git has popped up quite a few times, especially in forensics. Investigators often come across repositories where files have been deleted, overwritten, or quietly modified. Git’s history can help uncover those hidden details.
Git is a distributed version control system that keeps track of every change made to a project. From a forensics point of view, that means it can hold valuable evidence. Old commits, diffs, and logs can reveal what was changed, when it happened, and sometimes even why.
In this article, I’m going to share a few useful Git commands. They can help you explore and analyze repositories during investigations. These commands are also useful in capture-the-flag (CTF) challenges.
🧠 Useful Git Commands for Forensics
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
git log | Displays the commit history. You can see who made changes, when they were made, and view deleted or altered content. |
git show <commit> | Shows the details of a specific commit, including the changes it introduced. Helpful for finding data that was later removed. |
git diff | Compares the differences between commits or working files to track what changed. |
git status | Displays the current state of the repository and shows which files are modified, staged, or untracked. |
git reflog | Lists every move of the HEAD pointer, including commits that were “deleted.” This is a powerful recovery tool. |
git branch | Lists all branches in the repository. Add a branch name (for example, git branch recover-branch) to create a new one. |
git checkout <branch> | Switches to a different branch or commit so you can view the repository as it existed at that point. |
git switch <branch> | A newer and simpler alternative to git checkout for changing branches. |
git grep <keyword> | Searches through tracked files for specific strings or patterns. Great for finding sensitive data quickly. |
git cat-file -p <hash> | Displays the content of a Git object (like a commit or blob) by its SHA hash. Useful for deep inspection. |
git log --stat | Provides a summary of what files were modified in each commit and how many lines changed. |
git clone <url> | Copies a full repository so you can analyze it locally without touching the original. |
I encountered a challenge that had a hidden git repo. Don’t forget to run ls -a to reveal any hidden directories!
Wrapping It Up
Mastering Git from a forensics perspective helps you see digital footprints that most people overlook. Every commit tells a story — not just about code, but about the people and actions behind it. Whether you’re solving CTF challenges, you’re investigating suspicious repositories, or you’re simply curious about what’s been hidden in version history, understanding how to dig through Git’s layers can be one of the most valuable skills in your toolkit.
Cyberhunt 
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