Forensic Image Analyzer

An image can tell a story, but its hidden data often tells the truth. The Lupine Protocol Forensic Image Analyzer is a tool designed to look beyond the pixels and into the metadata of a digital photo. By extracting and displaying the Exchangeable Image File Format (EXIF) data, you can uncover crucial information about a photo's origin, helping to verify authenticity, cross-reference claims, and detect potential hoaxes.

How to Use This Tool

1. Upload Your Image: Click the "Upload an Image to Analyze" button and select a JPEG, PNG, or TIFF file from your device.
2. View the Preview: A preview of your uploaded image will appear on the left so you can confirm you've selected the correct file.
3. Analyze the Data: The table on the right will automatically populate with all available EXIF metadata. If no data is found, a message will appear explaining why.
4. Look for Clues: Use the "Investigative Use Cases" guide below to interpret the data and find clues about the image's authenticity, origin, and history.

What to Look For: Investigative Use Cases

After uploading an image, the table will populate with its metadata. Here are the key fields to look for and what they mean for your investigation:

📸 Camera & Software Information

• Make / Model: Identifies the exact camera or smartphone used. Does it match the witness's story? A photo claimed to be from the 1990s shouldn't come from an iPhone 15.
• Software: This is a critical field for hoax detection. If it lists "Adobe Photoshop" or another image editor, it's a major red flag that the original image has been altered.
• ExposureTime / FNumber / ISO: These camera settings can expose staged photos. A blurry "creature" photo with a long exposure time and low ISO might just be a mundane object blurred by camera shake in low light.

📅 Timestamp Verification

• DateTimeOriginal: This is the exact date and time the photo was taken, embedded by the camera itself. This is one of the most powerful tools for verifying a witness's timeline for a UFO or cryptid sighting.
• ModifyDate: Shows the last time the file itself was modified. If this date is much later than the original date, it can be a strong indicator of editing.

📍 Geolocation & Hoax Detection

• GPSLatitude / GPSLongitude: Many modern cameras and phones embed precise GPS coordinates. You can use these to confirm if a photo was actually taken at the alleged sighting location (e.g., Bluff Creek, CA) or in someone's backyard hundreds of miles away.
• The Absence of Data: Often, the most telling clue is a complete lack of EXIF data. Images that have been screenshotted, downloaded from social media, or heavily edited often have all their original metadata stripped. While not definitive proof of a hoax, it is highly suspicious and requires much greater scrutiny.