Space Steganography

Hide messages using Unicode space characters and zero-width characters

How Space Steganography Works

This technique uses Unicode space characters of different widths to encode secret data, based on Microsoft Word document space classification research. It employs two groups of spaces:

Group A: Inter-word Spaces

Uses combinations of Thin, Six-Per-Em, Hair spaces with zero-width characters. Encodes 4 bits per space (2 for Unicode space + 2 for ZWC position).

Group B: Line-end Spaces

Uses Hair, Six-Per-Em, Punctuation, and Thin spaces for end-of-line and paragraph spaces. Encodes 2 bits per space.

Encode Message

Extract Hidden Message

Analyze Text for Hidden Data

Space Steganography Technical Details

This implementation is based on the research paper "Text Steganography Using Word Document Spacing" which categorizes Unicode spaces into two groups for data encoding:

Group A: Inter-word Spaces

Used between words in the middle of sentences. Combines 3 Unicode space types with 4 zero-width character positions:

  • U+2009 (Thin Space)
  • U+2006 (Six-Per-Em Space)
  • U+200A (Hair Space)

Each inter-word space can encode 4 bits (2 bits for space type + 2 bits for ZWC position).

Group B: Line-end Spaces

Used at the end of lines or paragraphs. Uses 4 Unicode space types:

  • U+200A (Hair Space)
  • U+2006 (Six-Per-Em Space)
  • U+2008 (Punctuation Space)
  • U+2009 (Thin Space)

Each line-end space can encode 2 bits.

Overflow Handling

When the cover text doesn't have enough spaces to hide all secret data, remaining bits are appended as special whitespace characters at the end.

Security Considerations

This method provides concealment but not cryptographic security. The hidden data can be detected by:

  • Unicode normalization analysis
  • Space character frequency analysis
  • Comparing with original text

For sensitive data, encrypt your message before hiding it.

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