I am about to start my final MSc dissertation and I am considering writing on recovering geo-tag data from iPhones and Android device applications which could be used as evidence. I am aware of some apps that create geo-tags when transferring data between devices. Does anyone have any ideas regarding this, and which apps, or have used such evidence? Many thanks in anticpation! ) ?
Currently the .XRY program recovers geo tag information and can output this to a Google Earth file.
There are quite a few programs that can extract GPS data from Exif and display it somehow. In fact I think the web language PHP even has a function to do it if you wanted to look at a web based solution.
Hi Redcelica67
I've done a bit of research regarding iPhone apps and there are many many apps that use geotagging information. Even apps that have nothing to do with location seem to store the 'last location used'.
For example 'bump' is an app that exchanged contact details, photos, etc by 'bumping' the phone into another phone running the same app. In some of the files created by this app you will see where the last 'bump' occured and what device it was with!!
All great evidence, so i think it is a great area to research for a dissertation. Like Doug says XRY will plot the geotag information from photos in google earth (which is cool) - if you export the plist and sql files recovered in a XRY download you will also find good location information specific to certain apps!
I haven't any experience with android, but if you find some good info please share )
All the best with your dissertation!
Thanks Doug & Hereid! Some useful bits there and encouragement too. The Bump app is my starting point for the iPhone Hereid as I too recently found out about a new geotag being created when, say, bumping an image onto an iPod Touch. It set my mind thinking about other apps creating geotags that you wouldn't normally think of doing so. And then the fact of being able to find and extract & process the data. Then I also decided to broaden this out to the Android too. Doug, I have XRY/XACT so this will be my primary tool although I am going to look at some others too (even some non-forensic) when the geotags can possibly be modified and to look at how well modification and covering of footprints can be done. MS's free Pro Photo Tools looks to be a handy little program which I will explore further. )
Another tool that supports geo-tags extraction is UFED and UFED Physical.
UFED supports extracting this into both Google Earth and Google Maps.
I've used this tool for viewing exif data on photos taken by iPhones
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It's pretty cool. If geotag data exists, it automatically pulls up the location in Google maps and shows you the street view.