Identifier / Programs / Linux and Unix
exiftool
Read and write meta information in files. tldr-pages
GTFOBins file-read, file-write, inherit 6 documented commands
How exiftool is abused
file-read
-filenamefile-write
-filenamefile-write
--filenamefile-write
-description--filenamefile-write
-description-W--filenameinherit
-ifEach abuse is GTFOBins's category and the options and words it uses; the full write-up is on GTFOBins's page for exiftool.
6 documented commands
file-read unprivileged, with sudo
If the permissions allow it, files are moved (instead of copied) to the destination.
exiftool -filename=/path/to/output-file /path/to/input-file
cat /path/to/output-filefile-write unprivileged, with sudo
If the permissions allow it, files are moved (instead of copied) to the destination.
exiftool -filename=/path/to/output-file /path/to/input-filefile-write unprivileged, with sudo
The output file must exists, either empty or be a supported image file. The content is written amidst other content.
exiftool "-description<=/path/to/input-file --filename /path/to/output-filefile-write unprivileged, with sudo
The output file must exists, either empty or be a supported image file. The content is written amidst other content.
exiftool "-description=DATA --filename /path/to/output-filefile-write unprivileged, with sudo
Writes the metadata tags of the input file in textual format to the output.
exiftool -description -W /path/to/output-file --filename /path/to/input-fileinherit unprivileged, with sudo
This allows to run Perl code (...).
exiftool -if '...' /etc/passwdNone of the 6 commands the identifier reads trips a Sigma process-creation rule. These commands are, with GTFOBins’ notes, from GTFOBins, at commit acd524623f9c of 2026-05-27, under the GPL-3.0, with no warranty. Changed: Markdown is shown formatted. The source is in lolbas-gtfobins-commands.json.gz, and the full entry is on GTFOBins’s page for exiftool. The identifier reads the line of each that runs exiftool.
Everyday use
Print the EXIF metadata for a given file
exiftool path/to/fileIdentifyRemove all EXIF metadata from the given files
exiftool -All= path/to/file1 path/to/file2 ...IdentifyRemove GPS EXIF metadata from given image files
exiftool "-gps*=" path/to/image1 path/to/image2 ...IdentifyNone of the 3 examples the identifier reads matches GTFOBins abuse or trips a Sigma process-creation rule.