Which command will Kaison use to retrieve metadata of a malicious file?

The command "istat" is indeed used to retrieve detailed metadata for files in a filesystem, particularly in the context of forensic analysis. Istat allows users to examine the inode information associated with a file, which includes essential details like file size, permissions, timestamps (such as creation and modification times), and location on the disk. This information is crucial for forensic investigators to understand the characteristics and behavior of a file, especially when determining whether the file is malicious.

While the other commands mentioned can provide information about files, they serve different purposes that may not be as comprehensive for forensic metadata retrieval. For example, "file" identifies the type of a file based on its content rather than offering deep metadata insights. The "stat" command provides basic file status information, such as size and timestamps, but doesn't access inode information as thoroughly as istat does. Lastly, "ls -l" lists files in a directory along with some metadata (like ownership and permissions), but It provides a more general overview rather than focusing on the specific inode data needed for in-depth analysis of a file's metadata.

Therefore, "istat" is the best choice for directly obtaining detailed metadata associated with a malicious file in a forensic context.