Metadata and hidden information analysis tool
FOCA, developed by ElevenPaths, is an open-source tool for Windows primarily dedicated to discovering metadata and hidden information in documents. It searches for documents published on web pages, downloads them, and analyzes the embedded metadata within supported formats.
Its core function is to extract and analyze metadata from commonly used document types. By aggregating documents discovered through search engines and examining their metadata, FOCA provides a structured solution for identifying potentially sensitive information exposed through publicly available files.
FOCA specializes in extracting and analyzing metadata and hidden information from a wide variety of document formats, including Microsoft Office, OpenOffice, PDF, Adobe InDesign, and SVG files. This broad format support reflects the types of documents commonly published on websites.
Document discovery and metadata analysis
After locating documents through supported search engines—Google, Bing, and DuckDuckGo—or by adding local files, FOCA downloads and analyzes them to extract embedded metadata. It can also extract EXIF information from graphic files and conduct preliminary analysis of information discovered through a URL before downloading the file.
While metadata extraction is its primary focus, FOCA also supports document discovery and URL-based analysis, making it a tool designed for structured document-based information gathering rather than simple file inspection.
Web document metadata investigation tool
FOCA stands out as a specialized, free, and open-source solution for discovering and analyzing metadata and hidden information in publicly accessible documents. Its strengths include automated document discovery, support for widely used document formats, URL-based analysis prior to download, and EXIF extraction from local graphic files. This makes it a practical utility for security professionals performing reconnaissance and information disclosure assessments.
Pros
- Open-source and free to use
- Automated document discovery via search engines
- Supports multiple widely used file formats
- Extracts metadata and hidden information
- EXIF data extraction from graphic files
- URL analysis before file download
Cons
- Limited to supported file formats
- Limited to Windows platform
