Re: [Savannah-hackers] savannah.gnu.org: submission of Spleen

[loic]

        Approved.

address@hidden writes:
 > 
 > A package was submitted to savannah.gnu.org.
 > This mail was sent to address@hidden, address@hidden
 > 
 > 
 > RANNAUD Eric <address@hidden> described the package as follows:
 > License: gpl
 > Other License: 
 > Package: Spleen
 > System name: spleen
 > This package does NOT want to apply for inclusion in the GNU project
 > 
 > My project, called SPLEEN, is, in a nutshell, a software which is able to 
 > put information into pictures.
 > More exactly, it modifies pixels\' RGB channels, in such a way that, sending 
 > the file to another one, he will be able to pick up the content.
 > The more interesting features are discretion and secrecy. Indeed, in order 
 > to extract the information, you need the original picture. SPLEEN compares 
 > the modified picture to the original one to find information.
 > The picture files produced are completely standard files, it is completely 
 > impossible (or at least far from easy) to guess that this particular picture 
 > is SPLEEN-made.
 > In fact, SPLEEN modifies the picture, but it is not visible to the naked 
 > eye. To a maximum, it modifies one of the RGB channel by less than 2.0 % and 
 > considering the three channels: less than 7.5E-4 %. And if you want to use a 
 > program to detect it, there is no reason for a picture to be a bit more 
 > (e.g.) darker. If you have not the original picture, and if this one is 
 > complex (like a photograph), I cannot see how you would be able to identify 
 > it.
 > So, it\'s just a standard picture file travelling over the internet. 
 > Moreover, without the original picture, in the same way you were not able to 
 > guess that the picture has been modified, you cannot extract content. I see 
 > no way of infering the original picture using the modified one.
 > In a word, the original picture plays the same role than a crypto-key in a 
 > symmetric algorithm.
 > Since SPLEEN may not be considered as a cryptographic software, it may not 
 > be exposed to the law in the USA restricting exportation. Anyway, I leave in 
 > France, where these rules don\'t apply.
 > For a higher security level, you can use both GnuPG and SPLEEN.
 > For now, I have already made the most part of the program. But, it has been 
 > initially made with OCaml, which is a good language but not broadly 
 > diffused. So, in order to make SPLEEN more easy to compile and use, I am 
 > rewritting it in C and Gtk+ concerning the GUI. I have not already released 
 > sources, because it is hard to compile on another machine than mine. The C 
 > version will doubtless resolve that.
 > It is possible to include binary files, since all is coded with Base64 
 > before being included (support of exotic alphabets may be added quite 
 > easily).
 > Considering use of both Base64 and zlib, you may be able to include about 
 > the same amount of data that the size of the picture file (depending on the 
 > ability to compress the data).
 > The GUI allows user to add or remove items just as with an 
 > email-reader-agent when you attach files. It is also possible to edit 
 > text-items like email-messages.
 > I will probably add a GUI-less version, which could be usefull for some 
 > purpose.
 > 
 > If you need any other information, be sure you can contact me.
 > 
 > 

-- 
Loic   Dachary         http://www.dachary.org/  address@hidden
24 av Secretan         http://www.senga.org/      address@hidden
75019    Paris         Tel: 33 1 42 45 09 16        address@hidden
        GPG Public Key: http://www.dachary.org/loic/gpg.txt