KOMOREBI 木漏れ日

(canopy)

Turning free video hosting services into a file sharing platform by using qr codes and a little python

Duncan Andrews

September 2019

note: At the beginning of this project I could not find a similar project using video, though stenography is an old practice for sure so its likely I just didnt find it. Also this was originally written on a lightweight fairly unstable Kali distro. I’m having issues having it read the qr codes it generates, at least since I’ve switched systems, but I know that the data is being encoded. Also points of improvement and later features would include, stacked images or grid, command line arguments(duh), gif creation, encryption, and headers added to each final file made with length and information about file etc. Also I am not formally trained in programming so forgive any errr.. errors

    In the age of IOT and DRM and constant connectivity we sacrifice much of our privacy for the basic need of storing our data. There was a point in the early 21st century where the rush and expansion of the ability to have larger hard drives and more native storage space superseded many other options for personal computing. But as the ease of inter computer connectivity came into full realization and the internet became more accessible, many large corporations and governmental entities realized that by withholding these once standard options and instead selling storage space through proprietary and usually subscription services they were able to generate more capital, brand loyalty, and brand dependence. Additionally now many governments seek to install back doors into many of these major data hosting companies communications and storage networks. This begs the question for any person aware of these problems “How can keep we store our files or share them without unwanted alphabet agencies or subscription hosts invading our privacy?”. Well one method I’ve devised and created an engine for is taking the raw hex data (and if needed encrypt it) of any file and encoding pieces of it qr code images, then turning those images into slides of a video file(or .gif for text or email or static page hosting) and with the process reversed be able retrieve that information and reconstruct into the original file. Using this method and the program I’ve wrote, we gain the ability to take advantage of free video hosting sites throwing a digital judo move using those video hosting sites free services to host our files, whatever type, unchecked. Also if instead of a video, if the qr codes are stacked into an animated gif file, we’ve effectively made texting files and anonymous downloads possible(File size is of course a consideration in all this)

As borrowed from a business insider article from 2014 some off the major problems with relying on companies to host your files is as follows (https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/5215-dangers-cloud-computing.html)

• Cyberattacks. ...        
• Insider threats. ...        
• Government intrusion. ...        
• Legal liability. ...        
• Lack of standardization. ...        
• Lack of support. ...        
• etc

So lets get into the nitty gritty of it and start by getting a few things explained, starting with stenography. Well what is steganography? Steganography is the practice of concealing a file, message, image, or video within another file, message, image, or video. The word steganography combines the Greek words steganos (στεγᾰνός), meaning "covered or concealed", and graphe (γραφή) meaning "writing". Now the qr codes we’ll be making are designed to recognized for storing information, but the arrangement of many of them in video format to the untrained eye is unexpected...