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Part 2 – Detection and Research. Steganography. Introduction to Steganalysis. What is steganalysis? The art of detecting messages hidden by steganography Alternatively, detection of Steganography by a third party Research and analysis of steganography tools to develop detection methods.
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Part 2 – Detection and Research Steganography
Introduction to Steganalysis • What is steganalysis? • The art of detecting messages hidden by steganography • Alternatively, detection of Steganography by a third party • Research and analysis of steganography tools to develop detection methods
Introduction to Steganalysis • Why is it important to Computer Forensics? • Steganography allows a person to hide information in a non-obvious way, so potentially tough to find evidence. • Harder to spot steganography than encryption. • Steganography is tough to detect. You need a tool to help you. • Time intensive to check images etc for steganography. • Need help to narrow down the search
Detection Methods • Human Methods • Manually look at the file • Extremely hard to detect steg with sight or hearing • Looking for anomalies in image or with sound • Only possible when the hidden message is large compared to the carrier. • Look for anomalies in file size etc • All human methods are very time intensive and not reliable.
Detection Methods • Computer Forensic Methods • We can use CF techniques to help find evidence of steg usage • Search for evidence of steganography tools • Use a tool like EnCase to look for deleted programs • Look in start menu's • Look for remnants of steg tools in registry • If we can find a tool then we know what steganalysis to run • Detection is typically different for each steg tool so we want to reduce the number of steg tools we scan for in our images, mp3s, etc.
Detection Programs • Use a specialized tool • Much like a virus scanner • Scans disk looking at files for steg “signatures” • Can search based on for a specific tool's signature • Freeware/Opensource tool • Stegdetect • Can detect and crack various JPEG based steg tools • Such as JPHide, Outguess, F5, etc • Commerical Products • StegoSuite by Wetstone • StegAnalyzer by SARC
Demo of Stegdetect • Command line tool • Usage: stegdetect <options> <files> • Options • -q only report images that have steg content • -s <number> change the sensitivity of detection • -t <tools> select which tools to search for • Any combination of j, o, p, i. • j = JSteg, o = OutGuess, p = JPHide, i = Invisible Secrets • Example: • stegdetect -q -t jp *.jpg • Search all jpeg's in current directory for usage of Jsteg and JPHide and report only those that do have steg.
Detection Tools • Blind Steganography Detection • When you don't know the steg tool used. • Might even be a steg tool thats not widely known about • Involves statistical techniques • Expected values of image compared to actual • File size, noise levels • Chi-Square tests on distribution of DCT values • DCT values in a non-steg match a distribution curve • Modified DCT values don't fit this curve • May give false positives, or false negatives • Some steg tools purposely avoid these statistical detection techniques by adjusting other values to fool the Chi-Square test.
Detection Tools • Blind Steganography Detection Con't • Once a file is flagged as being steg'd we need to extract the hidden message. • May need to break a password or encryption • JPHide uses a password to control how it modifies the JPEG, therefore we need to know the password in order to extract the image. • Contained message may be encrypted. • Might have to use brute force to break • Can be extremely time consuming for complex passwords.
Steganography Research • Finding new ways of detecting steg • Improving blind detection methods • Genetic algorithms • Self modifying algorithm • Adapts to find optimal solution • In this case, optimal detection of steg • Artificial intelligence • Support Vector Machines • Consists of classifying an image, steg or non-steg • Composed of a feature vector • Specific sections or statistics of an image to look at • SVM is trained on a series of steg and non-steg images along with its feature vector and learns how to detect steg to a high percentage.
Steganography Research • Also finding new ways of steg'ing files • MPEG, PNG, etc • Tells us if we need to be concerned with steg in certain files • Important in order to adapt our practices of what or what not to search for in an investigation.
Steganography Research • URI Steganography Research Group • Received a NIJ grant to create a steg detection tool • Combines own SVM along with commercial detection software • Provides a single toolchain to analyze, break, and report. • Gives a single interface to forensic examiners • Easily extendable to new tools, new file formats without examiner having to learn new tool/technique. • Allows examiner to submit files to be checked and allows them to continue their examination.