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Topic: Mp3 Steganography programs (Read 6326 times) previous topic - next topic
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Mp3 Steganography programs

hi

I'm looking for an Mp3 Steganography program which modifies/adds the desired information after the audio has been encoded as an mp3.

i.e. So I can add a short number string into an mp3 file without the need to encode or re-encode as an mp3.

I'm after one that is preferably open source, as I will try and modify it so that it can work online in real-time... perhaps using PHP

cheers

Mp3 Steganography programs

Reply #1 –
anyone?

Mp3 Steganography programs

Reply #2 –
What's your use-case / threat-model ?
You sure this is worth the hassle ?

Sebi

Mp3 Steganography programs

Reply #3 –
Maybe, maybe not.

If I can find out if the following are possible to do then I'll think about it:

1) Can you use steganography on an mp3 (after it has been encoded as an mp3)?
2) Can a short (10 digit) number string be put into an mp3 file using steganography online?
3) Are there any programs that do either of the above two?

cheers

Mp3 Steganography programs

Reply #4 –
I have no experience with the anatomy of an MP3 file.  However my complete lack of understanding has not stopped me sticking my oar in yet so why start now.

Could you not use some of the less useful bits in the frame header to store data?  I'm thinking of the Private, Copyright and Original bits.

If my calculations are correct you only need 34 bits to record a ten digit decimal number - so that could either be the first 12 frames if you used all three, or 34 frames if you only used Private, say.

Dunno.

Edit:  Just realised that the user has access to change these bits, so it's probably not much use.
I'm on a horse.

Mp3 Steganography programs

Reply #5 –
there is this i dont know if its exactly what you want as i never used it, i found out about it after i noticed a scene group using my vinyl rips that i had posted to usenet but was to lazy to try it and the fact the size and vbr bitrates and replaygain values made it perfectly obvious they were my rips.

Mp3 Steganography programs

Reply #6 –
mp3stego

Mp3 Steganography programs

Reply #7 –
Quote
mp3stego

Not suitable according to the original poster, because mp3stego is a modified mp3 encoder (based on 8Hz) that hides information during the encoding process.

However, the source codes of mp3stego are available. So it could be the starting point for further development.

Mp3 Steganography programs

Reply #8 –
Somewhere in my memory there is a something about a paper reporting to change scalefactors slightly in encoded files to hide data.

Mp3 Steganography programs

Reply #9 –
Do you need to extract this information blindly, or can you afford to extract it having the original material around?

Edited to add:

S. Kuo, J. D. Johnston, W. Turin, S. R. Quackenbush, " Covert Audio Watermarking Using Perceptually Tuned Signal Independent Multiband Phase Modulation", ICASSP 2002, Orlando, FL, May 2002.

This caught my eye a few years ago, but I have no idea what's become of any IP in it.
-----
J. D. (jj) Johnston

Mp3 Steganography programs

Reply #10 –
Quote
Somewhere in my memory there is a something about a paper reporting to change scalefactors slightly in encoded files to hide data.
[a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=337168"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

As the amount scalefactors can be changed by is ~1.5dB, IIRC, wouldn't that lead to audible distortion? If a 1.5dB change isn't noticable if it's rapid enough, this could be a quick way to store binary data, although you'd get merely a single bit per frame.

Mp3 Steganography programs

Reply #11 –
um, basically I'm not after completely hidden steganography or watermarking.

So basically I'm just after something simple which can hide approx a 10-digit number. So all I'm after is that the number be put into the mp3 without it being heard during playback... and that it is not easy for the number to be removed.

I'm not very audio-tech savvy, so I'm not sure how the processes work atm, but I'll learn soon.

Mp3 Steganography programs

Reply #12 –
Quote
um, basically I'm not after completely hidden steganography or watermarking.

So basically I'm just after something simple which can hide approx a 10-digit number. So all I'm after is that the number be put into the mp3 without it being heard during playback... and that it is not easy for the number to be removed.

I'm not very audio-tech savvy, so I'm not sure how the processes work atm, but I'll learn soon.
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]


It might be tough to hide in mp3 format, but [a href="http://www.nicolasfournel.com/audiopaint.htm]Audiopaint[/url] will convert pictures to audio, so they can be revealed when looking at the spectral view of audio files.  In regular cd audio its very easy to conceal a picture without being heard - just use the higher (18khz-22khz) frequencies that are inaudible.  Again, it may be trickier to apply this to an mp3, as it throws the inaudible high frequencies.  Just an idea...

Mp3 Steganography programs

Reply #13 –
Quote
As the amount scalefactors can be changed by is ~1.5dB, IIRC, wouldn't that lead to audible distortion?

Not if you do it on silent sfbs...

Mp3 Steganography programs

Reply #14 –
Quote
um, basically I'm not after completely hidden steganography or watermarking.

So basically I'm just after something simple which can hide approx a 10-digit number. So all I'm after is that the number be put into the mp3 without it being heard during playback... and that it is not easy for the number to be removed.
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Two methods to store data inside an mp3 file:

Put it into the "ancillary data area" (i.e. padding) of the mp3 stream. I don't know if there already exists an application for this purpose. There is a program that does the exact opposite: to losslessly repack any mp3 file by removing such "ancillary data": [a href="http://www.hydrogenaudio.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=32379&hl=mp3packer]mp3packer[/url]  It should be possible to write a program that losslessly adds data to an mp3 file, based on the sources of mp3packer.

Another way is to add silent frames to the mp3 file, preferably at the beginning or end of the file. These silent frames would contain your data instead of real audio data. This method is already widely used, e.g. for Xing VBR and LAME tags.

Both methods - if implemented correctly - produce mp3 files that are fully compatible with any mp3 decoder out there. The added data is disguised as audio data, so it is not as obvious as ID3 tags, for instance. However, close inspection of the mp3 files would reveal the presence of the added data and the methods to remove the added data are readily available: mp3packer to remove "ancillary data" and mp3directcut or any other mp3 editor to remove silent frames.