Digital Forensic Case Studies for In-Vehicle Infotainment Systems Using Android Auto and Apple CarPlay

Area of Science:

• Digital Forensics
• Computer Science
• Automotive Engineering

Background:

• Vehicle systems and driver behavior analysis are critical forensic areas.
• Traditional forensic research focused on event data recorders and manufacturer infotainment systems.
• Modern vehicles increasingly use in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) systems like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, connecting to mobile devices and external networks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To address the growing importance of IVI system forensics, particularly for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
• To identify and overcome limitations in existing forensic studies of IVI systems, especially concerning wireless connections.
• To propose a comprehensive forensic methodology and develop a supporting tool for IVI systems.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of existing forensic studies on Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
• Identification of research gaps, particularly regarding wireless IVI system connections.
• Development of a novel forensic methodology tailored to current IVI system limitations.
• Creation of an IVI system forensics tool based on the proposed methodology.

Main Results:

• Existing research primarily focuses on wired USB connections for IVI systems.
• Wireless IVI system forensics, including Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, is currently insufficient.
• A new forensic methodology and a dedicated tool have been developed to address these gaps.

Conclusions:

• Forensic investigation of modern in-vehicle infotainment systems is essential due to the volume and type of data stored.
• The proposed methodology and tool enhance the forensic analysis of wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connections.
• This work contributes to advancing digital forensics in the automotive domain.