How to List Chocolatey Packages Across All Windows Devices
Using Kolide, you can easily view and query Windows Chocolatey Packages across your fleet.
Introduction
"Chocolatey" is a software package manager built for Windows that uses the NuGet packaging infrastructure. Chocolatey provides a simple, repeatable automated way to install and deploy Windows software.
What Windows Chocolatey Package Data Can Kolide Collect?
Kolide's endpoint agent bundles in osquery to efficiently collect Windows Chocolatey Packages from Windows devices in your fleet. Once collected, Kolide will parse, clean up, and centrally store this data in Inventory for your team to view, query, or export via API.
Kolide meticulously documents every piece of data returned so you can understand the results.
Windows Chocolatey Packages Schema
| Column | Type | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
| id | Primary Key |
Unique identifier for the object |
|
| device_id | Foreign Key |
Device associated with the entry |
|
| device_name | Text |
Display name of the device associated with the entry |
|
| author | Text |
The Chocolatey Package author (if applicable) |
|
| license | Text |
The author supplied license of the Chocolatey Package |
|
| name | Text |
The display name for the Chocolatey Package |
|
| path | Text |
The path where the Chocolatey Package is installed |
|
| summary | Text |
The author supplied description of the Chocolatey Package |
|
| version | Text |
The text representation of the version |
|
| version_major | Bigint |
|
|
| version_minor | Bigint |
|
|
| version_patch | Bigint |
|
|
| version_subpatch | Bigint |
|
|
| version_pre | Text |
|
|
| version_build | Text |
|
|
| collected_at | Timestamp |
Time the row of data was first collected in the database |
|
| updated_at | Timestamp |
Time the row of data was last changed in the database |
|
Why Should I Collect Windows Chocolatey Packages?
Since chocolatey is a widely used avenue for installing software, there is the potential for malicious actors to try and use it to distribute malware. Given the wide range of possible software that can be installed via chocolatey, it is important to regularly audit the list of installed packages on a machine.
Chocolatey packages are cataloged and tracked to allow:
- Reviewing installed packages to verify desired device configuration
- Discovering potential malicious software
- Identifying out-of-date or otherwise vulnerable software packages
Kolide collects metadata about chocolatey packages including name, version, description, author and license.
End-User Privacy Consideration
Kolide practices Honest Security. We believe that data should be collected from end-user devices transparently and with privacy in mind.
Chocolatey package installations may reveal a partial list of the applications installed on your device. This could include software used for personal or sensitive reasons.
When you use Kolide to list Windows Chocolatey Package data from end-user devices, Kolide gives the people using those devices insight into exactly what data is collected, the privacy implications, and who on the IT team can see the data. This all happens in our end-user privacy center which can be accessed directly by employees.
