---
id: dissect-util
version: "3.24"
license: Apache-2.0
license_treatment: permissive
maintenance: active
---

# dissect.util — A Dissect module implementing various utility functions for the other Dissect modules

License: permissive · Maintenance: active · Downloads: 188.4K/mo

## What it is and what it does

dissect.util is a utility module within the Dissect forensic framework that provides common functions and decompression algorithms used by other Dissect components. It includes implementations of LZ4 and LZO decompression with optional native Rust bindings for improved performance; when pre-built wheels are unavailable, the package automatically falls back to pure Python implementations.

The package is designed as a dependency for other Dissect modules rather than as a standalone tool. It requires Python 3.10.0 or later and has no external runtime dependencies, making it straightforward to install and integrate into forensic analysis workflows.

Use it for:

- Decompressing LZ4 or LZO-compressed data within Dissect forensic analysis pipelines.
- Providing shared utility functions to other Dissect framework modules.
- Building forensic analysis tools that depend on the Dissect ecosystem.
- Analyzing compressed artifacts in digital investigations where Dissect modules are the primary analysis framework.

## Worth the install?

AI-flagged interpretation of the facts above — verify before relying.

Provides utility functions and decompression algorithms (LZ4, LZO) for the Dissect forensic analysis framework, with optional native Rust implementations for performance.

Yes, if you are using other Dissect modules—it is a required or expected dependency. Install it as part of the Dissect framework setup. If you need standalone LZ4/LZO decompression without the Dissect ecosystem, evaluate dedicated compression libraries instead.

## Install

pip install dissect-util
uv add dissect-util
poetry add dissect-util

## Installing dissect.util

Before you install: Low friction installation with pure Python fallback; actively maintained with recent commits and no runtime dependencies to manage.

License in practice: Apache License 2.0 (permissive) allows use in commercial and proprietary projects with minimal restrictions.

Quickstart:

pip install dissect.util

from dissect.util.compression import lz4
decompressed = lz4.decompress(compressed_data)

Requires Python 3.10.0 or later; native Rust implementations are optional and automatically fall back to pure Python if unavailable.

Verify before relying:

- Whether the package's decompression functions are exposed as public APIs or are internal utilities for other Dissect modules.
- Performance characteristics of the pure Python fallback versus native implementations for typical workloads.

## Package facts

- License: Apache-2.0 (permissive)
- Python support: supports_current
- Install friction: low
- Maintenance: active
- Downloads: 188.4K/month (top 15,000 on PyPI)
- Known vulnerabilities: none known

## Tags

dissect framework utilities, lz4 lzo decompression, forensic analysis tools, dissect module dependencies, compression algorithm utilities, digital forensics library, forensics, dissect-framework, compression

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