How to Hide Data in Image, Audio & Video Files: Steganography
Ever wondered to know how to hide secret messages in image, audio and video files? Well, in this post I will take you through a concept called steganography using which, it is possible to hide your secret information in image files, songs or any other file of your choice. At the end of this post, you can also download free stegnographic tools and start hiding your data.
What is Steganography?
Steganography is a means of obscuring data where secret messages are hidden inside computer files such as images, sound files, videos and even executable files so that, no one except the sender and the receiver will suspect the existence of stealth information in it. Steganography may also involve the usage of cryptography where the message is first encrypted before it is concealed in another file. Generally, the messages appear to be something else such as an image, sound or video so that the transfer of secret data remains unsuspected.
The main advantage of steganography over other methods such as cryptography is that, it will not arose suspicion even if the files fall in the hands of a third party. Unlike cryptographic messages, stegnographic messages will no way attract the attention of a third party by themselves. Thus stegnanography has an upper hand over cryptography as it involves both encryption and obscurity.
What are the Applications of Steganography?
Steganography is mainly used to obscure confidential information/data during storage or transmission. For example, one can hide a secret message in an audio file and send this to another party via email instead of sending the message in the textual format. The receiver on the other end will decrypt the hidden message using the private decryption key. In a worst case scenario, even if a third party does manage to gain access to the email, all he can find is the audio file and not the hidden data inside it. Other usage of steganography include digital watermarking of images for reasons such as copyright protection.
Even though steganography has many useful applications, some may use this technique for illegitimate purposes such as hiding a pornographic content in other large files. Rumors about terrorists using steganography for hiding and communicating their secret information and instructions are also reported. An article claiming that, al-Queda had used steganography to encode messages in images and transported them via e-mails, was reported by New York Times, in October 2001.
How do Steganography Tools Work?
Stegnography tools implement intelligent algorithms to carefully embed the encrypted text messages or data inside other larger files such as an image, audio, video or an executable file. Some tools will embed the encrypted data at the end of another file so that there will be enough room for storing larger data.
There are many steganography tools available online but only a few are able to work flawlessly. I did not find any tool that worked perfectly on both small and large data. However, I have managed to develop my own tool that can work perfectly on all types of files and all size of data. The tool is called “Stego Magic“. You can download it from the following link.
The zip file contains two versions of Stego Magic: One for encrypting the text messages and the other for encrypting binary files. StegoMagic_TXT can be used to hide text messages in other files such as an image or a sound file. StegoMagic_BIN can be used to hide one binary file in another such as an executable file inside an image or an image inside a video file.
With Stego Magic, there is no limitation on the size and type of the file that you are intending to hide. For example, you can hide a video of size 1 GB in an image of size 1 MB or hide an executable file inside a WORD document. The tool is pretty straightforward to use and requires no special understanding of the concept.
At the end of the encryption process, a secret decryption key will be generated and the same is required during the decryption process.
How to Use Stego Magic?
Suppose you want to hide a text message inside a JPG file:
Place the JPG and the text file (.txt) in the same folder as that of StegoMagic_TXT.exe
Run StegoMagic_TXT.exe and follow the screen instructions to embed the text message inside the JPG image.
Note down the secret decryption key.
Now you can send this image to your friend via email. To decrypt the hidden message, your friend should load this JPG file onto the Stego Magic tool and use the secret decryption key.
I hope you enjoy this post 
. For queries and feedback, please pass your comments .
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Great post Tutor.. it worked…
but does the size matters
Nice tutorial………!!!!!!!!
@ fred{nigeria-esut}
Yes there will be an increase in the size. But it doesn’t matter as this is inevitable…
I embed video file into image after extract, i cannot open video file and the size is less than the original…why this happen??
@ uk-no
May be the decryption key used is wrong!!! Try again
Well first of all thanks for updating this site. Your trick was really amazing, it worked .
Nice Post Man!!
Long Time But happy For seeing this latest update
Thanks.
absolutely rockin……its a gr8 effort put by u,danx!!!!!
hey I really like your blog
it has very much information that i like to use
and you inspire me alot
Thank you for the information, very useful. I wait for the next information
Awesome tips! After long time u came back with a nice thing
can u tell me wat is the logic behind it,& the way to check a file for hidden file.
Will u please give me Data Encryption Algorithm…
veryy gud….ntrsting
Nice work….but i have a doubt….can we run the stegomagic in mobile phones
one question tutor
After hiding a .JPEG in a .EXE file. Does the .EXE work ?
Long time, i was waiting for a post.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us
Really good post, keep up the good work.
@ Lonelywolf
Absolutely Yes! The exe works just like before.
Nice post man…Thcs
wow I really like this post but two questions, If i hide a .exe file in a jpeg for example, will email clients still see that you are trying to send a .exe? and also may i distribute this program? I don’t see any licence information with it?
really nice and real stuff
Can u provide the source code of StegoMagic_TXT and StegoMagic_BIN.
nice and important post…
MINDBLOWING POST…
PLEASE KEEP POSTING LIKE THIS….
Hi author,
Really your site is excellent with great information.
I’m very much thankful to you for providing useful articles. I have one query, Can you say me which programming language plays main role for hacking and developing an cracking software’s like Key Loggers etc. I wanted to know what are the basic things and programming languages that are to be known for an hacker. Also i wanted to learn about programming and all, so please suggest me which language shall i choose for developing my skills.
Awaiting for your reply!
Thank You.
why am i seeing this message ? i couldn’t make it please send me email if possible . [email protected]
Invalid Filename/Error Opening the Specified File
cool!! honestly i’ve been waiting for your new pots..
i am really a fan of you man,..
uhm..
anyway. i’m encountering a roblem right now,
i can’t dispose an autorun virus inmy flash disk,
aside from formatting it, what else i can do??
..thanks!
@ susac
1. Make sure the specified file is in the same directory (folder) in which your StegoMagic tool is present.
2. See to that you have typed the exact name of the file along with the extension. Eg: Filename.exe, Filename.jpg etc.
3. If you are using Win vista/7 make sure that you’re running SegoMagic tool with amdin rights.
I hope this should solve your problem
@ MiniMite
Yes, you can hide an .exe file inside a .jpg and send it to anyone via email (email clients will not recognize this as an exe). I have tested this with gmail and it works fine. Regarding the license, you can share the tool with anyone as it is a freeware. Enjoy!!!
@ Faisal
Sorry, I cannot
if i encrypt a .jpg file in a .mp3 file why dont i see the watermark of the image while the song is playing…
I really Loved this Post. I Love You all the author and hackers, those who are posting on this portal.
You made a terrific software…… i think it is my best downloaded software………….
nice post shrikant….. I hv been waiting for ur post since long, finally you posted….. keep posting such nice articles!!!
and sorry for my bad English….@(^.^)@…..
Good Posts Thanks
Wow, this is wonderful sir,kudos to you. Wel am a newbie to hacking, presently studying ethical hacking in d university, sir I wil realy nid ur help plsssss.
hi-great tools rarely find freely on the web !
hi
i added an exe file to a jpg but it couldnt be run by double click on jpg? what is wrong with it ? did i have any mistake or it is impossible in this version ?
with regrads
anna
That’s a nice dev’t.Good Update
nice post but can u tell me how we hide exe file in jpg file via command prompt or other….i tried but it dont work..
@ anna
If you hide a jpg inside an exe, of course you can run the exe. But if you hide an exe inside a jpg why would it run like an executable? The file just acts as if it is an image until you decrypt and extract the hidden exe file inside it. I hope you got the idea!!
@ aaa
You cannot do it using the command prompt. That is the reason why I have created this tool!
great work again this will help me in many ways thanx for the info
SRIKANTH SIR,
I AM BIG FAN OF YOU,,,I LOVE THESE HACKING INFORMATION..THANK YOU FOR SUCH A GREAT HACKING INFORMATION..GREAT WORK ,,,,
SOMETIMES,,I OPEN http://www.gohacking.com FEELS NERVOUS B’COZ OF NO UPDATION OF YOUR POST..BUT HEARTLY SAYING..HAPPY WHEN YOUR NEW POST ON MAIN PAGE..
SO , KINDLY ACCEPT THIS REQUST FROM ALL TO UPDATE FASTLY THIS SITE…
THANKING YOU..
hey this tool is really too good yaar please can you give the source code… pls pls pls pls pls pls pls pls pls pls pls pls pls pls pls pls pls…………
stagomagic works on symmetric key cryptography…….
bt it should use asymmetric keying system to be more secure ??
bt the whole content ws gr888………..
helped a lot gr88 job sir
nice post
:)extremely ntrsting one:) 
Great it worked man.
Thank u for ur post.
Do you have more.
What if your program itself is injected with some codes that steal our information ? Never thought of that huh ?
keep it up dude…
Great post man…!
You have done a great job..!
keep coming up with softwares like this..
-i like your post ,really very informative..i want to know..
1.Can we hide keylogger in image or video??
2.if so ,will it run automatically if someone download it ??
nice tips….I read about hiding in jpeg…but I wasn’t aware of hiding in Audio and video files..
thank u for giving such useful tips.
Can you please provide the coding/ algorithm for this file.
hey good software
can u plz provide me with the source code .
Hello, nice thing, but how to run exe whit extension Jpg ?
cooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool
@ Saver
Well it’s just a matter of TRUST!!!
hi sir..
am doin project on audio steganography and video steganography..
will you please help me out with the source codes..
plzzz..
hey, Thanks for the info, but do you know of an app for Steganography on mac? ty
hey i love this tutorial very much because it works….
thnks alot and please create some more of this kind…
you really are a computer genius, man
Hey sirikant i love your site there is alot to learn from this site. i had always wanted to become a hacker but never found any help i really appericiate you.As you told to become a hacker we mus first buy the hackers underground hackbook, i have installed that book from inter net i just wanted to confirm that if i had installed the right book so i am postin some of its table of contents below. sorry to comment in this article but there is a problem iam not able to comment on your other articles plz tell me hw.
A. Introduction………………………………………………………………………………….5
1. How can I use this eBook?
2. What is a hacker
3. Hacker Hierarchy
4. What does it take to become a hacker?
5. Disclaimer
B. Programming………………………………………………………………………………..9
1. Do I really need it?
2. Where should I start?
3. Best way to learn
C. Linux………………………………………………………………………………………….12
1. What is it?
2. Choosing a distribution
3. Running Linux
4. Learning Linux
D. Passwords…………………………………………………………………………………..33
1. Password Cracking
2. Phishing
3. Countermeasures
4. More Programs
@ Srikanth
Is possible to rename this exe (StegoMagic_BIN)…?
@ Swathy
Yes you can rename it! No worries
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