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Proxy services for OSINT and security research.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\n[![Contributors][contributors-shield]](https://github.com/franckferman/MetaDetective/graphs/contributors)\n[![Forks][forks-shield]](https://github.com/franckferman/MetaDetective/network/members)\n[![Stargazers][stars-shield]](https://github.com/franckferman/MetaDetective/stargazers)\n[![Issues][issues-shield]](https://github.com/franckferman/MetaDetective/issues)\n[![PyPI][pypi-shield]](https://pypi.org/project/MetaDetective/)\n[![Docker][docker-shield]](https://hub.docker.com/r/franckferman/metadetective)\n[![License][license-shield]](https://github.com/franckferman/MetaDetective/blob/stable/LICENSE)\n![Python Stdlib](https://img.shields.io/badge/Python%20deps-stdlib%20only-green?style=for-the-badge)\n![ExifTool](https://img.shields.io/badge/Requires-ExifTool-blue?style=for-the-badge)\n\n\u003ca href=\"https://github.com/franckferman/MetaDetective\"\u003e\n  \u003cimg src=\"https://raw.githubusercontent.com/franckferman/MetaDetective/stable/docs/github/graphical_resources/Logo-Without_background-MetaDetective.png\" alt=\"MetaDetective\" width=\"340\"\u003e\n\u003c/a\u003e\n\n\u003ch3 align=\"center\"\u003eMetaDetective\u003c/h3\u003e\n\u003cp align=\"center\"\u003eMetadata extraction and web scraping for OSINT and pentesting.\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\n\u003c/div\u003e\n\n---\n\n## Table of Contents\n\n- [About](#about)\n- [Installation](#installation)\n- [Usage](#usage)\n- [License](#license)\n- [Contact](#contact)\n\n---\n\n## About\n\nMetaDetective is a single-file Python 3 tool for metadata extraction and web scraping, built for OSINT and pentesting workflows.\n\nIt has no Python dependencies beyond exiftool. One `curl` and you're operational.\n\n**What it extracts:** authors, software versions, GPS coordinates, creation/modification dates, internal hostnames, serial numbers, hyperlinks, camera models - across documents, images, and email files.\n\n**What it does beyond extraction:**\n- Direct web scraping of target sites (no search engine dependency, no IP blocks)\n- GPS reverse geocoding with OpenStreetMap, map link generation\n- Export to HTML, TXT, or JSON\n- Selective field extraction with `--parse-only`\n- Deduplication across multiple files\n\nIt was built as a replacement for Metagoofil, which dropped native metadata analysis and relied on Google search (rate limiting, CAPTCHAs, proxy overhead).\n\n\u003cp align=\"center\"\u003e\n  \u003cimg src=\"https://raw.githubusercontent.com/franckferman/MetaDetective/stable/docs/github/graphical_resources/Screenshot-MetaDetective_Demo.png\" alt=\"MetaDetective demo\" width=\"700\"\u003e\n\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp align=\"center\"\u003e\n  \u003cimg src=\"https://raw.githubusercontent.com/franckferman/MetaDetective/stable/docs/github/graphical_resources/Screenshot-MetaDetective_Scraping_Demo.png\" alt=\"MetaDetective scraping demo\" width=\"700\"\u003e\n\u003c/p\u003e\n\n---\n\n## Installation\n\n**Requirements:** Python 3, exiftool.\n\n```bash\n# Debian / Ubuntu / Kali\nsudo apt install libimage-exiftool-perl\n\n# macOS\nbrew install exiftool\n\n# Windows\nwinget install OliverBetz.ExifTool\n```\n\n### Direct download (recommended for field use)\n\n```bash\ncurl -O https://raw.githubusercontent.com/franckferman/MetaDetective/stable/src/MetaDetective/MetaDetective.py\npython3 MetaDetective.py -h\n```\n\n### pip\n\n```bash\npip install MetaDetective\nmetadetective -h\n```\n\n### git clone\n\n```bash\ngit clone https://github.com/franckferman/MetaDetective.git\ncd MetaDetective\npython3 src/MetaDetective/MetaDetective.py -h\n```\n\n### Docker\n\n```bash\ndocker pull franckferman/metadetective\ndocker run --rm franckferman/metadetective -h\n\n# Mount a local directory\ndocker run --rm -v $(pwd)/loot:/data franckferman/metadetective -d /data\n```\n\n---\n\n## Usage\n\n### File analysis\n\n```bash\n# Analyze a directory (deduplicated singular view by default)\npython3 MetaDetective.py -d ./loot/\n\n# Specific file types, filter noise\npython3 MetaDetective.py -d ./loot/ -t pdf docx -i admin anonymous\n\n# Per-file display\npython3 MetaDetective.py -d ./loot/ --display all\n\n# Formatted output (singular/default display)\npython3 MetaDetective.py -d ./loot/ --format formatted\n\n# Single file\npython3 MetaDetective.py -f report.pdf\n\n# Multiple files\npython3 MetaDetective.py -f report.pdf photo.heic\n```\n\n### Summary and timeline\n\n```bash\n# Quick stats: identities, emails, GPS exposure, tools, date range\npython3 MetaDetective.py -d ./loot/ --summary\n\n# Chronological view of document creation/modification\npython3 MetaDetective.py -d ./loot/ --timeline\n\n# Both together\npython3 MetaDetective.py -d ./loot/ --summary --timeline\n\n# Scripting: no banner, summary only\npython3 MetaDetective.py -d ./loot/ --summary --no-banner\n```\n\n### Selective parsing\n\n`--parse-only` limits extraction to specific fields. Useful to cut noise or target a specific data point.\n\n```bash\n# Extract only Author and Creator fields\npython3 MetaDetective.py -d ./loot/ --parse-only Author Creator\n\n# Extract GPS data only from iPhone photos\npython3 MetaDetective.py -d ./photos/ -t heic heif --parse-only 'GPS Position' 'Map Link'\n```\n\n### Export\n\n```bash\n# HTML report (default)\npython3 MetaDetective.py -d ./loot/ -e\n\n# TXT\npython3 MetaDetective.py -d ./loot/ -e txt\n\n# JSON - singular (deduplicated values per field)\npython3 MetaDetective.py -d ./loot/ -e json\n\n# JSON - per file\npython3 MetaDetective.py -d ./loot/ --display all -e json\n\n# Custom filename suffix and output directory\npython3 MetaDetective.py -d ./loot/ -e json -c pentest-corp -o ~/results/\n```\n\nJSON singular output structure:\n```json\n{\n  \"tool\": \"MetaDetective\",\n  \"generated\": \"2026-03-21T...\",\n  \"unique\": {\n    \"Author\": [\"Alice Martin\", \"Bob Dupont\"],\n    \"Creator Tool\": [\"Microsoft Word 16.0\"]\n  }\n}\n```\n\nPivot with jq:\n```bash\njq '.unique.Author' MetaDetective_Export-*.json\n```\n\n### Web scraping\n\nMetaDetective can crawl a target website, discover downloadable files (PDF, DOCX, XLSX, images, etc.), and download them for local metadata analysis.\n\n**Two scraping modes:**\n\n- **`--download-dir`** - Download files to a local directory for analysis. This is the primary mode.\n- **`--scan`** - Preview only: list discovered files and stats without downloading. Useful for scoping before a full download.\n\n\u003e `--scan` and `--download-dir` are mutually exclusive.\n\n**The `--depth` flag is critical.** By default, depth is **0**: MetaDetective only looks at the URL you provide. Most interesting files (reports, presentations, internal documents) are linked from subpages, not the homepage. **Always set `--depth 1` or higher for real engagements.**\n\n| Depth | Behavior |\n|-------|----------|\n| `0` (default) | Only the target URL. Finds files directly linked on that single page. |\n| `1` | Target URL + all pages linked from it. Covers most site structures. |\n| `2+` | Follows links N levels deep. Broader coverage, more requests, slower. |\n\n**Download (primary workflow):**\n\n```bash\n# Standard download with depth 1 (recommended starting point)\npython3 MetaDetective.py --scraping --url https://target.com/ \\\n  --download-dir ~/loot/ --depth 1\n\n# Target specific file types\npython3 MetaDetective.py --scraping --url https://target.com/ \\\n  --download-dir ~/loot/ --depth 2 --extensions pdf docx xlsx pptx\n\n# Parallel download (8 threads, 10 req/s)\npython3 MetaDetective.py --scraping --url https://target.com/ \\\n  --download-dir ~/loot/ --depth 2 --threads 8 --rate 10\n\n# Follow external links (CDN, subdomain, partner sites)\npython3 MetaDetective.py --scraping --url https://target.com/ \\\n  --download-dir ~/loot/ --depth 1 --follow-extern\n\n# Stealth: realistic User-Agent + low rate\npython3 MetaDetective.py --scraping --url https://target.com/ \\\n  --download-dir ~/loot/ --depth 2 --user-agent stealth --rate 2\n```\n\n**Scan (preview):**\n\n```bash\n# Quick preview: how many files are reachable?\npython3 MetaDetective.py --scraping --scan --url https://target.com/ --depth 1\n\n# Filter preview by extension\npython3 MetaDetective.py --scraping --scan --url https://target.com/ \\\n  --depth 2 --extensions pdf docx\n```\n\n**Full pipeline (scrape + analyze + export):**\n\n```bash\n# Step 1: download files\npython3 MetaDetective.py --scraping --url https://target.com/ \\\n  --download-dir ~/loot/ --depth 2 --extensions pdf docx xlsx\n\n# Step 2: analyze and export\npython3 MetaDetective.py -d ~/loot/ -e html -o ~/results/\n```\n\n| Flag | Default | Description |\n|------|---------|-------------|\n| `--url` | required | Target URL |\n| `--download-dir` | - | Download destination (created if needed) |\n| `--scan` | - | Preview mode (no download) |\n| `--depth` | `0` | Link depth to follow. **Set to 1+ for real use.** |\n| `--extensions` | all supported | Filter by file type |\n| `--threads` | `4` | Concurrent download threads (1-100) |\n| `--rate` | `5` | Max requests per second (1-1000) |\n| `--follow-extern` | off | Follow links to external domains |\n| `--user-agent` | `MetaDetective/\u003cver\u003e` | Custom or preset UA string |\n\n### Display modes\n\nMetaDetective offers two display modes that control how results are structured:\n\n**`--display singular`** (default) - Aggregates all unique values per field across every file. Best for OSINT: \"who touched these documents?\" at a glance.\n\n```bash\n# Default: deduplicated singular view\npython3 MetaDetective.py -d ./loot/\n\n# With formatted style (vertical list with markers)\npython3 MetaDetective.py -d ./loot/ --format formatted\n\n# With concise style (comma-separated on one line)\npython3 MetaDetective.py -d ./loot/ --format concise\n```\n\n**`--display all`** - One block per file with its individual metadata. Best for forensic analysis: examine each document's properties independently.\n\n```bash\npython3 MetaDetective.py -d ./loot/ --display all\n```\n\n\u003e `--format` only works with `--display singular`. Using `--format` with `--display all` produces an error.\n\n**Additional views:**\n\n| Flag | Description |\n|------|-------------|\n| `--summary` | Statistical overview: file count, unique identities, emails, GPS exposure, tools, date range |\n| `--timeline` | Chronological view of document creation and modification events |\n| `--no-banner` | Suppress the ASCII banner for scripting and pipeline use |\n\n### Export formats\n\nThree export formats are available. All respect the current `--display` mode.\n\n```bash\n# HTML report with dark theme, stats bar, and responsive layout\npython3 MetaDetective.py -d ./loot/ -e html\n\n# HTML per-file view\npython3 MetaDetective.py -d ./loot/ --display all -e html\n\n# Plain text\npython3 MetaDetective.py -d ./loot/ -e txt\n\n# JSON (structured, pipe into jq)\npython3 MetaDetective.py -d ./loot/ -e json\n\n# Custom output directory (created automatically if it does not exist)\npython3 MetaDetective.py -d ./loot/ -e html -o ~/results/\n\n# Custom filename suffix\npython3 MetaDetective.py -d ./loot/ -e json -c pentest-corp -o ~/results/\n```\n\nThe HTML export includes a summary header showing total files analyzed, total metadata fields extracted, and unique identities found (from Author, Creator, and Last Modified By fields).\n\n### User-Agent (scraping)\n\nWhen scraping, MetaDetective identifies itself as `MetaDetective/\u003cversion\u003e` by default. Use `--user-agent` to change this:\n\n```bash\n# Use a preset\npython3 MetaDetective.py --scraping --scan --url https://target.com/ --user-agent stealth\n\n# Available presets\n#   stealth, chrome-win, chrome-mac, chrome-linux,\n#   firefox-win, firefox-mac, firefox-linux,\n#   safari-mac, edge-win, android, iphone, googlebot\n\n# Custom string\npython3 MetaDetective.py --scraping --scan --url https://target.com/ \\\n  --user-agent 'Mozilla/5.0 (compatible; MyScanner/1.0)'\n```\n\n### Filtering\n\n| Flag | Description |\n|------|-------------|\n| `-t pdf docx` | Restrict to file types |\n| `-i admin anonymous` | Ignore values matching pattern (regex supported) |\n| `--parse-only Author Creator` | Extract only specified fields |\n\n### Supported formats\n\nDocuments: PDF, DOCX, ODT, XLS, XLSX, PPTX, ODP, RTF, CSV, XML\nImages: JPEG, PNG, TIFF, BMP, GIF, SVG, PSD, HEIC, HEIF\nEmail: EML, MSG, PST, OST\nVideo: MP4, MOV\n\n---\n\n## License\n\nAGPL-3.0. See [LICENSE](https://github.com/franckferman/MetaDetective/blob/stable/LICENSE).\n\nMetaDetective is provided for educational and authorized security testing purposes. You are responsible for ensuring compliance with applicable laws.\n\n---\n\n## Star History\n\n\u003ca href=\"https://star-history.com/#franckferman/MetaDetective\u0026Timeline\"\u003e\n  \u003cpicture\u003e\n    \u003csource media=\"(prefers-color-scheme: dark)\" srcset=\"https://api.star-history.com/svg?repos=franckferman/MetaDetective\u0026type=Timeline\u0026theme=dark\" /\u003e\n    \u003cimg alt=\"Star History Chart\" src=\"https://api.star-history.com/svg?repos=franckferman/MetaDetective\u0026type=Timeline\" /\u003e\n  \u003c/picture\u003e\n\u003c/a\u003e\n\n---\n\n## Contact\n\n[![ProtonMail][protonmail-shield]](mailto:contact@franckferman.fr)\n[![LinkedIn][linkedin-shield]](https://www.linkedin.com/in/franckferman)\n[![Twitter][twitter-shield]](https://www.twitter.com/franckferman)\n\n\u003cp align=\"right\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"#top\"\u003eBack to top\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\n\u003c!-- shields --\u003e\n[contributors-shield]: https://img.shields.io/github/contributors/franckferman/MetaDetective.svg?style=for-the-badge\n[forks-shield]: https://img.shields.io/github/forks/franckferman/MetaDetective.svg?style=for-the-badge\n[stars-shield]: https://img.shields.io/github/stars/franckferman/MetaDetective.svg?style=for-the-badge\n[issues-shield]: https://img.shields.io/github/issues/franckferman/MetaDetective.svg?style=for-the-badge\n[pypi-shield]: https://img.shields.io/pypi/v/MetaDetective.svg?style=for-the-badge\u0026logo=pypi\u0026logoColor=white\n[docker-shield]: https://img.shields.io/docker/pulls/franckferman/metadetective.svg?style=for-the-badge\u0026logo=docker\u0026logoColor=white\n[license-shield]: https://img.shields.io/github/license/franckferman/MetaDetective.svg?style=for-the-badge\n[protonmail-shield]: https://img.shields.io/badge/ProtonMail-8B89CC?style=for-the-badge\u0026logo=protonmail\u0026logoColor=white\n[linkedin-shield]: https://img.shields.io/badge/-LinkedIn-black.svg?style=for-the-badge\u0026logo=linkedin\u0026colorB=blue\n[twitter-shield]: https://img.shields.io/badge/-Twitter-black.svg?style=for-the-badge\u0026logo=twitter\u0026colorB=blue\n","project_url":"https://awesome.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/projects/github.com%2Ffranckferman%2Fmetadetective","html_url":"https://awesome.ecosyste.ms/projects/github.com%2Ffranckferman%2Fmetadetective","lists_url":"https://awesome.ecosyste.ms/api/v1/projects/github.com%2Ffranckferman%2Fmetadetective/lists"}