Drone Forensics Through Open-Source Solutions: A Review of Investigative Tools and Their Effectiveness

Within digital forensics, drone forensics is a specialist profession that investigates and examines unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for evidence. As drones become increasingly common, their digital fingerprints can be very important in investigations. Drone forensics assists law enforcement, security organizations, and attorneys find solutions regarding issues involving drone abuse, mishaps, or security breaches. This field is critical in locating infringers, evaluating privacy violations, and providing vital evidence in court cases. The drone forensics process entails gathering and analyzing data from multiple sources. In this review paper, we focus on analyzing open-source tools used for investigating drones. Our paper compiles a list of the most commonly used tools in the field, detailing their capabilities and effectiveness in data extraction. By analyzing 14 research papers published between 2018 and 2024, we assess these tools comprehensively. Based on this evaluation, we offer recommendations and guidance for researchers in the field.