BSides Vancouver 2026

In a landscape where digital reality is increasingly “optional,” the structures we rely on, like database schemas, can be deceptive, corrupted, or missing entirely. When the standard query layer fails and SELECT * returns nothing, most analysts assume the truth is gone. This session is for those who refuse to accept that conclusion.

We will bypass the "optional reality" presented by database management tools and descend into the absolute ground truth: the raw binary structure of the SQLite format. By treating the database file not as a structured container but as a raw artifact, we can uncover evidence that standard parsers ignore. We will map out table structures, decode "Magic Bytes," and carve data without ever needing a valid header. This approach allows us to reconstruct the narrative and verify the existence of data, even when the system says it doesn’t exist.