"Camera/Shy the Steganographical Browser"
Overview:
---------
Several weaknesses have been discovered in
Camera/Shy (c/s)
the Steganographical Browser from "Hacktivismo"
+ Smaller than reported cryptographic key
+ Incorrect implementation
+ Detection of hidden content
Description:
------------
"CAMERA/SHY OVERVIEW
.........
Utilizing LSB steganographic techniques and AES-256
bit
encryption, this application enables users to share
censored information
with their friends by hiding it in plain view as
ordinary gif images.
Camera/Shy is the only steganographic tool that
automatically scans for
and delivers decrypted content straight from the Web.
It is a stand-alone, Internet Explorer-based browser
that leaves no trace
on the user¡¦s system. As a safety feature Camera/Shy
also includes security
switches for protection against malicious HTML.
Picture that."
(from
http://www.hacktivismo.com/news/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=12/)
According to the overview from hacktivismo c/s
features 256 AES (Rijndael)
encryption. An examination of the c/s source code
proves this to be incorrect.
The function "encryptHTML" is used for encrypting
messages.
As we can see below at ** c/s #1 the Rijndael cipher
is initialized by passing
the string located in "WideEdit3" to the the "InitStr"
procedure of David Barton's
DCPcrypt library. The result of encryption in CBC
mode is then base64 encoded
using the Encode function of the base64 unit at ** c/s
#2.
- from Unit1.pas
---------------------------------------------------
function
TForm1.encryptHTML(encryptString:string):string;
var
Cipher: TDCP_rijndael;
begin
// encrypt string
if encryptString = '' then
exit;
Cipher:= TDCP_rijndael.Create(nil);
Cipher.InitStr(WideEdit3.Text); // ** c/s
#1
Cipher.EncryptCBC(encryptString[1],encryptString[1],Length(encryptString));
result := base64.Encode(encryptString); // ** c/s
#2
Cipher.Burn; { Erase key information }
Cipher.Free;
end;
- /Unit1.pas
------------------------------------------------------
Side note:
DCPcrypt beta2 allows InitStr to be called as
InitStr(const Key: string; HashType: TDCP_hashclass);
but as "Camera/Shy" is calling InitStr(const Key:
string);
we know that an older version of DCPcrypt is being
used.
Now we examine the code at "InitStr" inside DCPcrypt:
- from DCPcrypt.pas
-----------------------------------------------
procedure TDCP_cipher.InitStr(const Key: string);
var
Hash: TDCP_sha1;
Digest: array[0..19] of byte; { SHA1 produces a
20byte digest }
begin
if fInitialized then
Burn;
Hash:= TDCP_sha1.Create(Self);
Hash.Init;
Hash.UpdateStr(Key);
Hash.Final(Digest); // ** dcp/1
Hash.Free;
if MaxKeySize< 160 then
Init(Digest,MaxKeySize,nil) // ** dcp/2
else
Init(Digest,160,nil); // ** dcp/3
FillChar(Digest,Sizeof(Digest),$FF);
end;
- /DCPcrypt.pas
---------------------------------------------------
From the above code we are able to determine that:
** dcp/1. "Key" (password string) is hashed using
SHA-1
** dcp/2. If the maximum key size the particular
TDCP_Cipher is
less than 160 bits then truncate the "Key"
hash digest
and use it initialize the TDCP_Cipher with
a nil IV.
** dcp/3. ELSE initialize the TDCP_Cipher using the
160 bit hash
digest and a nil IV.
Side note:
When TDCP_rijndael.Init is passed a nil IV, one is
generated
automatically by encrypting an 128-bit buffer of 0's
using ECB
mode with the same key as specified in the first
paramater.
ie: Init(const Key; Size: longint; InitVector:
pointer)
An examination of the code within Rijndael.pas is left
as an
exercise for the interested reader.
This non-standard key size and method of
initialization are not
mentioned anywhere within the AES specification.
While the Rijndael algorithm is used, it is incorrect
to state
that Camera/Shy uses "AES-256 bit encryption".
Encryption is NOT performed with a 256 bit key and
does NOT
conform to AES specification.
Content detection
Earlier it was mentioned that the encrypted message is
base64
encoded using the Encode function of the base64 unit
at ** c/s #2.
This information plus a quick examination of the
primitive
algorithms located in "InsertSteganography" and
"ExtractSteganography" allows us to hastily discuss a
method of
detecting hidden content within any image produced by
"Camera/Shy".
Data that is embedded within an image takes the form
of a string:
[ SIGNATURE + Message + $00 ]
Where "SIGNATURE" is an arbitary string entered by the
user and
"Message" is the encrypted message in base64 form.
When we call a slightly modified
"ExtractSteganography" with a
standard non-stegged image as input, the resultant
string should
be of a pseudo random nature. When we call the same
function
passing a stegged image as input, the resultant string
will look
like a short string of text ("SIGNATURE") followed by
base64 encoded
ciphertext.
Software may be written to operate with a modified
"ExtractSteganography" that can examine the resultant
string as such:
+ IF several printable bytes are followed by 0x00
+ THEN flag image and store extracted data
Knowing this, it is TRIVIAL to write an automated
application which could quickly examine a set of
suspect images,
locally or online, determine whether they are
"Camera/Shy" and
act according to its findings.
ie: notify administration, block host/s, etc
Conclusion:
-----------
The purpose of steganography is to conceal that fact
that secret
communication is taking place. Easy detection of
steganographic
methods defeats the purpose of this hidden
communication.
If the steganographic methods employed are readily
detectable, then
they offer no advantages over straightforward
encryption, only
disadvantages.
With such a limited understanding of cryptography and
steganography
displayed by the authors of c/s, it is highly unlikely
that thier
contributions to "hacktivism" will have any positive
effect.
It is left to the reader to make up her/his mind as to
whether
"Hacktivismo" purposefully implemented an
exceptionally weak/naive
steganographic system and misled the general public
about
cryptographic methods used in "Camera/Shy", or simply
did so
out of pure ignorance and incompetence.
A false sense of security is worse than no security at
all.
Tested versions:
----------------
Camera/Shy 0.2.22 Beta (current version)
URLS:
-----
Camera/Shy |
http://sourceforge.net/projects/camerashy/
DCPcrypt | http://www.cityinthesky.co.uk/cryptography.html
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