Bob1234
@secureserver.net
 from:
Jameson 
thumbs down from:
Jameson
| Digital camera a security risk?
Let's say I take a picture with my digital camera, then upload the picture to a public forum. If someone downloads that picture, would it be possible for them to analyze the picture, determine which model camera took that picture (or at least which company manufactured the camera), find a vulnerability associated with that model, and take advantage of it? In other words, is it dangerous to post in public pictures that are taken with a digital camera that I own? All thoughts on this are welcome! If you can think of other ways a user's security could be compromised through the process of them posting a picture they took publicly, please tell me. Thanks! |
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Just Bob
Premium
join:2000-08-13
Spring Hill, FL | »blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2007/0···ana.html |
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ezdsl
join:2002-03-13
Austin, TX
| reply to Bob1234
Almost (if not all) Digital cameras embed "EXIF" information into JPG images, providing manufacturer, model, camera settings, exposure settings, etc.
But, I can't imagine any way to 'hijack your digital camera' by using this information. Your camera may be temporarily connected to your computer to upload images, possibly by USB cable, maybe BlueTooth, infrared in the old days.
There are photo editors out there which strip the EXIF images after you save them, maybe even standalone solutions.
You could even resort to getting a card reader and taking the memory card out of your camera and plugging in into the card reader to transfer photos to your computer. |
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dadkins
Living on a Blu Planet
Premium,MVM
join:2003-09-26
Hercules, CA
 ·Comcast
edit:
August 4th, @09:53AM
| reply to Bob1234
Picture(with EXIF) | 
Properties - EXIF | |  |
EDIT" #3 is what Opera sees as Image Properties of that uploaded image.
I'm not worried about any of that.
Yeah, Camera is a Sony Cybershot.
DSC-P100 Model.
All the rest? If it says so... I have it on Auto Everything. 
I know Flash Mode was Soft Lighting, wonder why it didn't add that to EXIF.  |
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SUMware
Premium
join:2002-05-21 | reply to ezdsl
These 'old' free tools may prove useful:
JPG Cleaner
GifClean
They can be used with Linux, too. |
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NetFixer
Snarl for the camera please
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Murfreesboro, TN
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edit:
August 4th, @04:54PM
| reply to ezdsl
said by ezdsl :You could even resort to getting a card reader and taking the memory card out of your camera and plugging in into the card reader to transfer photos to your computer. Since the EXIF information is embedded in the image, this would make no difference. On the other hand since EXIF information is in no way a privacy or security risk it is a moot point.
Actually, I just had a thought about it being a potential privacy risk. If you are bragging in an on-line photography forum about your Nikon D1, and the EXIF information in the posted image shows that you actually have a no-name Chinese piece of junk, that might be considered a privacy violation. 
--
We can never have enough of nature.
We need to witness our own limits transgressed, and some life pasturing freely where we never wander.
Test your firewall. |
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jansson_mark
Markus Jansson
Premium
join:2001-08-05
Finland
| reply to SUMware
said by SUMware :These 'old' free tools may prove useful: JPG Cleaner "Cleans" my jpg files useless. No program can get them open properly and view them after the "cleanup".
--
My computer security & privacy related homepage »www.markusjansson.net
Use HushTools or GnuPG/PGP to encrypt any email before sending it to me to protect our privacy. |
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Portmonkey
I'm Your Boogie Man
Premium
join:2004-04-09
Southern IL
| reply to Bob1234
There's not much reason to do it, but I use Vista to remove the EXIF data. |
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jaykaykay
4 Ever Young
Premium,MVM
join:2000-04-13
Scottsdale, AZ
·Speakeasy
| reply to Bob1234
I guess that maybe it's time to turn in my old tin foil hat and get a new model. The one I have must not be working as I don't give a hoot about the EXIF on either of my cameras nor any risk they might pose for me. I just can't be that paranoid about my life any more. It's just too short! |
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AB
Premium
join:2006-04-04
Leesburg, VA
| reply to Bob1234
said by Bob1234 :
. . is it dangerous to post in public pictures that are taken with a digital camera that I own?
Posting in public, pictures or no, is one of the most dangerous things a person can do in the 21st Century-- ownership details of the camera notwithstanding.
. . If you can think of other ways a user's security could be compromised through the process of them posting a picture they took publicly, please tell me. Thanks! I can.
Suppose you were to post a picture of yourself standing in front of your car and house. I can read your license plate and your street address, and notice there's a copy of the 'My Town, USA' Gazette on the front steps.
Hey! What's that over there in the corner? Why, it's a street sign with the name of your street on it!
And suppose further that you were reading your bank account and credit card statements when that picture was taken, and that account details are easily discernable within the photo.
Well, I think it's easy enough to see where this could potentailly create a problem if you were to post said photo in or at a public place.
I rest my case.
Have a nice day.  |
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NetFixer
Snarl for the camera please
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Murfreesboro, TN
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| reply to Bob1234
Unless you have privacy issues with someone knowing the brand/model of the digital camera you use and/or the timestamp information, the EXIF information is in no way a privacy or security issue.
The actual contents of the digital image might be another thing entirely (sometimes unnoticed things in the background can prove to be troublesome). 
If you are really troubled about publishing the EXIF information, an excellent free program can be downloaded from »www.exifer.friedemann.info/ which can save, delete, and restore EXIF information from JPEG and TIFF images.
--
We can never have enough of nature.
We need to witness our own limits transgressed, and some life pasturing freely where we never wander.
Test your firewall. |
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PittsPgh
join:2003-08-21
Pittsburgh, PA
| reply to Bob1234
About the only problem you could have would be any extra info you provide in the EXIF info.
I know My Canon Powershot I embed an email address in the info. Something you can do with the software provided with the camera.
Besides seems most basic picture viewer programs sem to strip it all out, when resaved |
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SUMware
Premium
join:2002-05-21
edit:
August 4th, @07:54PM
| reply to jansson_mark
said by jansson_mark :said by SUMware :These 'old' free tools may prove useful: JPG Cleaner "Cleans" my jpg files useless. No program can get them open properly and view them after the "cleanup". Very unfortunate for you.
I've used both apps on many OSes from Win98, currently through XP and several Linux distros, and thousands of pic files, all with absolutely zero problems. Used both this morning.
Sorry to hear of your problems. |
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Steve
Security is inefficient
Consultant
join:2001-03-10
Tustin, CA
edit:
August 4th, @09:06PM
| reply to NetFixer
said by NetFixer :Unless you have privacy issues with someone knowing the brand/model of the digital camera you use and/or the timestamp information, the EXIF information is in no way a privacy or security issue. Oh yah?
EXIF can contain a thumbnail of the image, and it's often maintained even after the full image has been mucked with in photoshop.
I recall a headshot that a pretty girl posted of herself on Craigslist, and though it had been cropped, the original uncropped thumbnail was still in the EXIF. Let's just say we got to see a bit more of the pretty girl than she intended. Woot!
Likewise, that racy picture that you pixellated or added black bars to? The thumbnail didn't get those edits. Surprise! See the above sample taken from this site (examples are easy to find, but it's harder to find a "good" one that's nevertheless suitable for posting in a public forum).
It's fun to investigate pictures with my brother's online EXIF viewer, which will show thumbnails if the EXIF contains them.
This is a classic example of hidden metadata, and photographs are not immune; this makes it a security issue.
Steve
--
Stephen J. Friedl | Unix Wizard | Microsoft Security MVP | Tustin, California USA | my web site |
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NetFixer
Snarl for the camera please
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Murfreesboro, TN
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edit:
August 4th, @09:49PM
| said by Steve :Oh yah? EXIF can contain a thumbnail of the image, and it's often maintained even after the full image has been mucked with in photoshop. I forgot all about those pesky little thumbnails.
On the other hand, the Exifer program I suggested will zap those as well as the other camera EXIF information!.
--
We can never have enough of nature.
We need to witness our own limits transgressed, and some life pasturing freely where we never wander.
Test your firewall. |
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dolphins
Miami Dolphins
Premium
join:2001-08-22
Westville, NJ
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| reply to Steve
WooHoo... Got some asian sites I wanna visit now. Do you have an app that can clear pixelation?
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Prevent Malware |
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fatness
subtle
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TekSavvy
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| reply to Steve
said by Steve :EXIF can contain a thumbnail of the image, and it's often maintained even after the full image has been mucked with in photoshop. That's what happened to Cat Schwartz of TechTV. Not that I would know.
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Sure, that'll work.. |
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EGeezer
Summer is passing
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join:2002-08-04
Country!
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| reply to Steve
Firefox also has a nice little EXIF viewer extension written by Alan Raskin - See here.
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Sive enim ad sapientiam perveniri potest, non paranda nobis solum ea, sed fruenda etiam est |
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BurntCricket
Gotta Do What Ya Gotta Do
Premium
join:2000-09-02
Here
clubs: | reply to Bob1234
DAMN, and to think I was going to go buy a Digital Camera too ..... 
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What was I in Highschool ?
A Ghost. |
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dolphins
Miami Dolphins
Premium
join:2001-08-22
Westville, NJ
·Comcast
| reply to Bob1234
Here's a shortened low resolution video I took from a local fire with sound.(DUH!)
See what you can do with it?
Tell me the original size of the video? Show me the girls in the original video which was over 60MB? Now show me where the video is from? longitude and latitude would be the preferred.
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