---
# System prepended metadata

title: "Covert File Hiding! \U0001F60E"
tags: [' Cyber Shujaa', Steganography]

---

---
tags: Steganography, Cyber Shujaa
---
tags: `Steganography` `Cyber Shujaa`


# Covert File Hiding! 😎 
![](https://i.imgur.com/q2hxWLH.jpg)


# Steganography
The term means ***the technique of hiding secret data within an ordinary, non-secret, file or message in order to avoid detection; the secret data is then extracted at its destination***. Usually the hidden data is set  in such a manner that the presence of the information is not evident to normal human inspection.


### Use Cases:
This method has been known to be used in various scenarios for:
* Hiding ***malware*** in sharable files.
* Hiding ***secret covert messages*** by intelligence agencies.
* Embedding ***security features in Bank-note printing***, to prevent color copiers from reproducing images of currency (*exposing fake-notes*).
* ....and many many more.


## Practice:

You can create and start using Steganography straight from your Linux machine easily as described below:

1. Install the tool: ***steghide***
![](https://i.imgur.com/HW832wi.png)

2. Confirm installation is successful by running steghide help menu
![](https://i.imgur.com/P8ZuDgX.png)


3. We can now use steghide to embed text data into an image
    i. Let’s create a simple text file for embedding
    ![](https://i.imgur.com/Q1EfFD4.png)
    
    ii. Hide the secret message in a picture and secure it with a passphrase
    ![](https://i.imgur.com/8rkRQU1.png)
    
4. When the data is hidden in the image, the original file size increases depending on how big the file is.

5. To extract you simply do the reverse and provide a passphrase
    i. ![](https://i.imgur.com/wmC2np1.png)
    
    ii. ![](https://i.imgur.com/8dytAKZ.png)

----

### Bonus!!:
* The image used on this post has a hidden message
* Use steghide to unravel the mystery
* "The title is the passphrase"😉
* Good luck. Happy hunting!

