Hidden in Plain Sight

🔍 Details

📝 Description

Look closely; an ordinary image may hold extraordinary secrets waiting to be uncovered.

🧩 Hints

1. Sometimes, the name of the file holds the key to unlocking its secrets. Think about what the name might represent in a different form.
2. Have you heard about lsb (least significant bit) steganography?

💡 Solution

This challenge uses LSB (Least Significant Bit) steganography, a common technique for hiding data in image files.

Here's how to solve it:

1. Notice the file name: 108_115_98.png. When you convert these numbers from decimal ASCII:

   • 108 → l
   • 115 → s
   • 98 → b This gives you the hint: lsb

2. Tools you can use:

   • 🛠️ Aperi'Solve (opens in a new tab) – drag and drop the image and it will analyze multiple steganographic techniques.
   • 🛠️ Planetcalc LSB Decoder (opens in a new tab) – online LSB decoder for images.
   • 🛠️ zsteg (CLI tool on Kali Linux):

     sudo apt install zsteg
     zsteg -a 108_115_98.png
     This scans for known LSB patterns and outputs any hidden messages.

❗ Note: Tools like steghide won't work here since PNG files aren't supported by that tool.

📚 Insights

Least Significant Bit (LSB) steganography hides data in the image by altering the least important bits of pixel color values — changes so small that they’re invisible to the human eye.

Key takeaways:

• It's a form of data hiding, not encryption — the goal is concealment, not scrambling.
• LSB is most effective in lossless formats like PNG, because compression in formats like JPEG can destroy hidden data.

🤔 Comments