Image Steganography
Steghide
1
steghide extract -sf white_rabbit_1.jpg
Detailed Breakdown
steghide:
A steganography tool used to hide or extract data within various file formats such as JPEG, BMP, WAV, or AU. Commonly used in CTFs, forensic investigations, and Red Team engagements to analyze hidden information.
Arguments
extract:
Tellssteghideto perform extraction, retrieving hidden data from a carrier file.-sf white_rabbit_1.jpg:
-sfstands for stegofile, indicating the carrier file where hidden data resides. In this case, it’swhite_rabbit_1.jpg.
During extraction, if a passphrase is required (as in most steghide operations), the tool prompts for it. If the passphrase is correct, the hidden data is decrypted and extracted.
Output Example:
wrote extracted data to “hint.txt”.
This means steghide successfully found hidden information within white_rabbit_1.jpg and extracted it as hint.txt.
Available Additional Arguments for Steghide
| Argument | Description |
|---|---|
--help | Displays help information and usage details |
info -sf <file> | Shows embedded information in the stego file without extraction |
extract -sf <file> -xf <output> | Extracts hidden data to a specified output file |
embed -cf <coverfile> -ef <datafile> | Embeds datafile into the carrier/cover file |
-p <passphrase> | Supplies the passphrase directly on the command line (use with caution) |
-Z | Displays compression information for the embedded file (if compressed) |
Example Variants
Extract data specifying output file:
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steghide extract -sf secret.jpg -xf hidden.txt
Extract data with passphrase inline (not recommended for OPSEC reasons):
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steghide extract -sf secret.jpg -p "mySecretPass"
Get information about embedded content:
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steghide info -sf secret.jpg
Summary
The command extracts hidden content from white_rabbit_1.jpg using steghide, requiring a valid passphrase to reveal the embedded file (hint.txt). This method is standard for detecting steganographic payloads during Red Team exercises, CTFs, or digital forensic operations.