This is a short introduction to the steganography software "Steghide"
What is Steganography
Steganography is the practice of concealing a file, message, image, or video within another file, message, image, or video.
Source: Wikipedia
What is Steghide?
Steghide is a steganography program that is able to hide data in various kinds of image- and audio-files. The color- respectivly sample-frequencies are not changed thus making the embedding resistant against first-order statistical tests.
Source: manual.pdf
Dude, what do you mean?
If you're into Crypto, you might want to hide certain data. On your computer or in cloud storage. Only this data should not be recognized as such. Well, then you can hide your data in a picture. Or in an audio file.
An example:
You create a text file and in this you write your private key for e.g. a Bitcoinwallet. You save the file and use Steghide to save this text file to a picture. Then you can save the image anywhere you want, or send it to a family member. To decrypt the text file you use again Steghide.
Concretely
- Download and unpack Steghide
- Create text file, enter data, Save> data.txt
- Insert any image (photo.jpg) and the file (data.txt) in the unzipped Steghide folder
- Run your console (Windows> CMD)
In the console, navigate to the unzipped Steghide folder and enter the following command:
steghide embed -cf photo.jpg -ef data.txt
After that, a password is requested:
Enter passphrase:
And a repetition of the password
Re-enter passphrase:
Finally, there is the confirmation
embedding "data.txt" in "photo.jpg" ... done
Now the text file is embedded in the image and can be deleted. The picture itself can now be saved in a photo album, on Google Drive, in the Dropbox or somewhere else.
OMG, how I get my text file back?
If you now want to reopen the text file (data.txt) to see the private key, follow these steps:
Copy the picture (photo.jpg) back to the Steghide folder and enter the following command in your console:
steghide extract -sf photo.jpg
Then you have to type in the chosen password:
Enter passphrase:
And if this is correct, you get the message
wrote extracted data to "data.txt".
The text file extracted from the image is now in the same folder as the image and can be used as normal.
For advanced users, the software Steghide offers additional parameters for encryption and compression. These are listed in the PDF file "manual.pdf", which is located in the Steghide folder.
Awesome, where can I get this magical software
- Here is the official website: http://steghide.sourceforge.net/
- Here is the link to the download page: http://steghide.sourceforge.net/download.php
Woar, the website looks like in the year 2003
Yeah, it finally is. But the Software works great anyway. Give it a try!
I am not liable for damages of any kind. Everyone has the right and the obligation to use their brains. Before the software is used correctly, several tests as well as the understanding of the processes are essential.