dChan - Q Origins Project Archive

https:// twitter.com/DavidPriess/status/947093722617077760

Got there by following a link to Brannans latest Anti-Trump tweet.

Classic - Blame others for that which you are guilty.

Post#1

May be of help.

The main text is from an ancient (1996) program called STEGANOS I stored on a CD. It's old but has some interesting info on the methods used, noise in the image, conversion between image formats.

Original doc wouldn't open but I got the contents eventually.

Can't attach the doc so will have to do multiple posts.

Excerpts from the main text-

Steganos hides a file inside a BMP, VOC, WAV or ASCII file - so you are able to not just make information unusable for a third party (which you do by using cryptologic methods), but you even hide the existence of any information.

It is possible to convert an encoded BMP file to - for example - a the GIF format and back to BMP. Even then Steganos will be possible to recover the hidden data. Be sure to use exactly the same format when encoding and decoding (best is using the same converting software -

for example VPIC for DOS or the above mentioned Paint Shop Pro for Windows). It's important to just use compressions which do not destroy information.

If you enter an unknown file format, Steganos will ask you for the header size and how much bit the format has and then try to store the information in the file: make sure to use just uncompressed files.

Steganos will create 'noise' and write it till the end of the picture/sound file - so it's much harder to detect the bits that have been modified, e.g. by rotating the palette (as Gabriel Yoran did). Because this method modifies the whole picture/sound file you should choose a file which is not longer than absolutely needed. A large picture/sound file takes much longer to fill it with noise.

STEGANOS v1.4 - released 10th of July 1996

Cryptography/Steganography software

Made in Frankfurt/Germany

DOCUMENTATION

100651.3561@compuserve.com

http:// ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/fhansmann

Ä [0] TABLE OF CONTENTS ÄÄÄÄ

[1] What exactly is STEGANOS? An introduction

[2] The Syntax of STEGANOS

[3] Example

[4] Some hints for usage

[5] Technology and further information

[6] Errorlevels

[7] Copyrights of mentioned software

Jump to the part you want to read by searching for the chapter number in

brackets, e.g. [4].

Ä [1] WHAT EXACTLY IS STEGANOS? AN INTRODUCTION ÄÄÄÄ

Steganos (Greek): protected, protecting; covered, covering.

Steganos combines two very strong technologies for securing information:

cryptography and steganography.

A second idea for using Steganos is to protect your pictures. If someone uses one of your pictures (or sounds) you can prove that it is yours - just store a file with your copyright in the picture.

Steganos is written for MS-DOS - this makes sure that nearly everyone can use it - it's equal if you use pure DOS, OS/2, WIN 3.x or WIN 95.

Feel free to give Steganos to all your friends - it's FREEWARE.

Note that I am NOT RESPONSIBLE for any use or abuse of Steganos.

Special thanks go to Gabriel Yoran.

Ä [2] THE SYNTAX OF STEGANOS ÄÄÄÄ

steganos e|d 'picture/sound file' 'file to hide' password [/b] [/d]

e encode

d decode

password Password to encrypt the file before hiding it -

'?' will prompt for password.

/d The file the information comes from will be deleted.

If you encode the "file to hide" will be deleted - the "file for hiding information" if you decode.

Note that the file will not be restorable with undelete.

/b This parameter will force Steganos to create a backup of the picture/sound file. This function is just avaible when you encode. Be careful with backups if someone finds them he can prove that you are using steganography by simple doing a file compare (encoded file, backup).

The 'picture/sound file' can be a VOC, WAV, BMP, or ASCII file.

If you want you can use the long Windows 95 filenames as you are used from MS-DOS 7 commandline applications. If your long filename contains spaces you will need to put '"' at the beginning and at the end.

Ä [3] EXAMPLE ÄÄÄÄ

steganos e sample.voc secret.txt secret

This commandline will store (hide) the file 'secret.txt' inside the VOC file 'sample.voc' after crypting the information with the password 'secret'.

Enter the same commandline with a 'd' instead of 'e' and you get your data back - note that the hidden information in the VOC file is not deleted.

If you add a '>NUL' at the end of the commandline you won't see any messages of Steganos anymore.

Post#2

Ä [4] SOME HINTS FOR USAGE ÄÄÄÄ

For good results use LOUD SOUNDS in a BAD QUALITY and BLACK/WHITE

graphics instead of high quality color images. Use files which have no geometric figures inside (e.g. the windows of Graphical User Interfaces…) since it is very simple to see that something is wrong.

Be sure that the file you want to hide information in exists just one time. DON'T TAKE POPULAR IMAGES (e.g. logos or pictures from WWW sites or CD-ROMs) because the hidden information could become visible by comparing the original file with the one you hid

information in (of cause it would be crypted anyway). Of cause you can modify them (e.g with filters in Paint Shop Pro).

It is possible to convert an encoded BMP file to - for example - a the GIF format and back to BMP. Even then Steganos will be possible to recover the hidden data. Be sure to use exactly the same format when encoding and decoding (best is using the same converting software -

for example VPIC for DOS or the above mentioned Paint Shop Pro for Windows). It's important to just use compressions which do not destroy information.

For example: JPEG uses the DCT (Diskrete Cosinus Transformation) algorhythm which destroys parts of the image by not saving data which can rarely be seen. Information hidden with Steganos would be lost.

If you get hidden ASCII files within an email make sure to remove the lines added to the original output file of Steganos.

If you even want to enlarge the security of the hidden file make sure you use a strong encrypting program like PGP before hiding a file with Steganos - even though Steganos crypts the file, too.

If you want you can combine PGP with the program Stealth. This program strips off all identifying information from the PGP encrypted file (like header information) and can be used optionally (see URL below).

Make sure that the password you use consists of at least 6 letters. Use the password just one time. Don't use a password you use in a mailbox or online service and don't use names, birthdays etc.

If you want to encode more than one file, you can use an archiver (e.g. PkZip or RAR) before using Steganos.

Don't forget to delete the file consisting of the original information after encoding or decoding if needed.

Ä [5] TECHNOLOGY AND FURTHER INFORMATION ÄÄÄÄ

Steganos stores information in the lowest bit of a byte, beginning after the file header. Steganos does not just store the file, filesize and a one byte checksum but all information stored in the file will be encrypted.

When you hide a file inside an ASCII file Steganos uses a completely different method for hiding information: spaces and tabs are added to the end of the lines. Note that this method CAN BE DETECTED VERY EASILY by using a hex editor and keep in mind that this method increases the file size.

If you delete a file with DOS the data can be recovered with Undelete or for example with the Norton Utility Text Search. If Undelete needs to have a disabled directory entry to recover a file, Text Search even finds plaintext searching sector for sector on a drive. Even if a file is

overwritten one time, it can be recovered with expensive methods. The Steganos delete feature does not just overwrite the file once, but three times - the first time with 00h, the second with FFh and the last time with 00h again. This takes time but is very secure, since it demagne- tizes the file area on the drive. Of course you can use the Norton Utility Wipeinfo, too.

Steganos.exe is protected with a little checksum check written by me, which, by the way, allows to pklite a file, but not to patch. If you want to be sure to use an unmodified version of Steganos download the newest version from my homepage (see above).

Post 3/3

If you are intersted in more information about steganography and cryptography check out the following sources:

Newsgroups:

alt.privacy

alt.security

sci.crypt

World Wide Web:

http:// www.iquest.net/~mrmil/stego.html

http:// adams.patriot.net/~johnson/html/neil/stegdoc/stegdoc.html

Ä [6] ERRORLEVELS ÄÄÄÄ

In case of an error Steganos returns an errorlevel on which a batchfile

can react.

Code Meaning

0 No error

1 Can't delete file

2 Picture/sound file is damaged

3 File must have 8 bit

4 File must be uncompressed

5 Invalid parameters

6 Steganos has been modified

7 The password is not valid

8 Picture/sound file not found

9 File to hide not found

10 Picture/sound file is too small

11 Can't create file

12 Line in ASCII file is too long

13 Incorrect file or passwor