Metadata Sucker

A professional, brutalist-inspired forensic tool for deep metadata extraction and technical stream analysis.

Overview

Metadata Sucker is a high-performance web interface designed for digital forensics and privacy auditing. It acts as a specialized wrapper for ExifTool and FFmpeg, allowing users to "suck" hidden information from images and videos that standard file explorers cannot see.

The system is built with a Privacy-First Logic, automatically purging uploaded files from the server immediately after analysis to ensure no data footprint is left behind.

Features

• Deep Metadata Extraction: Reveal GPS coordinates, camera serial numbers, edit history, and software signatures.
• Technical Stream Analysis: Detailed breakdown of video/audio codecs, bitrates, and container structures via FFprobe.
• Real-Time Tag Filtering: Instant search bar to isolate specific metadata tags in massive data dumps.
• Smart Slicing Technology: Client-side 5MB header slicing to bypass server upload limits and speed up analysis.
• Forensic Alert System: Automatic highlighting of sensitive data that could compromise user anonymity.
• Brutalist Dark UI: High-contrast, low-entropy interface designed for long-session technical monitoring.

Supported File Types

Images

• JPEG (.jpg, .jpeg)
• PNG (.png)
• GIF (.gif)
• WebP (.webp)
• TIFF (.tiff, .tif)
• BMP (.bmp)
• RAW (.raw, .dng, .cr2, .nef)

Videos

• MP4 (.mp4)
• Matroska (.mkv, .mka)
• AVI (.avi)
• QuickTime (.mov)
• WebM (.webm)
• Flash Video (.flv)
• 3GP (.3gp)
• MTS/M2TS (.mts, .m2ts)

Prerequisites

To run this tool on your Linux environment, you need:

• PHP 8.1+
• ExifTool
• FFmpeg / FFprobe
• Apache/Nginx (configured with proper upload_max_filesize)

Installation

Ubuntu / Debian

# Install PHP and forensic dependencies
sudo apt install php-cli php-common exiftool ffmpeg -y

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/BryanApolonio/Metadata-Sucker.git
cd Metadata-Sucker

Fedora

# Install dependencies
sudo dnf install php perl-Image-ExifTool ffmpeg -y

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/BryanApolonio/Metadata-Sucker.git
cd Metadata-Sucker

macOS (via Homebrew)

# Install dependencies
brew install php exiftool ffmpeg

# Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/BryanApolonio/Metadata-Sucker.git
cd Metadata-Sucker

Project Structure

├── assets/
│   ├── css/
│   │   └── style.css       # Brutalist Dark-Mode UI
│   ├── js/
│   │   └── script.js       # Upload Logic & Header Slicing
│   └── img/                # UI Screenshots & Icons
├── includes/
│   └── process.php         # Forensic Engine (ExifTool & FFmpeg)
└── index.html              # Main Entry Point

Getting Started

1. Configure PHP Limits (Optional for large files): Edit your php.ini to increase upload_max_filesize if you intend to analyze full high-res videos without slicing.

   # Example configuration
   upload_max_filesize = 500M
   post_max_size = 500M

2. Start the local server:

   php -S localhost:8080

3. Analyze Files: Open http://localhost:8080, drag any file into the drop-zone, and watch the system extract the "hidden truth" behind the bytes.

Usage Examples

Image Metadata Extraction

1. Upload a JPEG file from your camera
2. System reveals:
   • Camera model, lens information
   • GPS coordinates (if available)
   • Edit history and software signatures
   • Color profile and resolution data

Video Stream Analysis

1. Upload an MP4 or MKV file
2. System displays:
   • Video codec (H.264, VP9, AV1)
   • Audio codec and bitrate
   • Duration and frame rate
   • Container structure and streaming metadata

Performance & Limitations

• Maximum Recommended File Size: 2GB (without slicing)
• Smart Slicing: Files larger than 5MB are analyzed header-first, reducing processing time
• Average Processing Time:
  • Images: < 1 second
  • Videos: 2-5 seconds (depending on file size)
• Concurrent Uploads: Recommended limit of 3-5 simultaneous uploads

Upload fails with "file too large"

Edit your PHP configuration:

# Find php.ini location
php --ini

# Edit the file and update:
upload_max_filesize = 500M
post_max_size = 500M

# Restart your web server or PHP built-in server

No metadata found in file

• Some files may have stripped metadata for privacy reasons
• RAW formats require additional libraries (libopenraw)
• Try a different file to confirm the tool is working

Security & Privacy

• No Persistence: Files are processed in the /tmp directory and unlinked (deleted) immediately after analysis.
• Local Execution: Designed for local use, ensuring your sensitive files never leave your machine unless deployed to a trusted VPS.
• Sanitized Inputs: All filenames are escaped to prevent command injection during shell execution.
• No Logging: Metadata extraction does not create permanent logs of file contents.

Disclaimer

This tool is for educational and forensic purposes only. I am not responsible for how you use the information extracted by this software.

Legal Notice:

• Always respect privacy laws in your jurisdiction
• Ensure you have explicit permission to analyze files that do not belong to you
• Unauthorized metadata extraction may violate GDPR, CCPA, or other data protection regulations
• Users are solely responsible for compliance with local and international laws