Fediverse OSINT

Fediverse OSINT is a Python-based open source intelligence tool designed to perform reconnaissance and analysis on Fediverse instances. As the Fediverse ecosystem continues to grow rapidly, this tool provides essential capabilities for understanding and investigating the decentralized social media landscape.

Project Overview

The Fediverse is catching up like wildfire, and there’s a growing need for basic tooling to understand how things are working. Due to the open nature of Fediverse protocols, a lot of details are available through the right APIs, making it an ideal target for OSINT research and analysis.

Current Capabilities

The tool currently performs the following activities:

• Domain Verification: Check if a given domain belongs to the Fediverse or not
• Username Validation: Verify if a given username exists on a specific Fediverse server
• Cross-Instance Username Hunting: Search for a username across known discoverable Fediverse servers
• Instance Discovery: Leverage the open nature of Fediverse protocols to discover and catalog instances

Technical Implementation

• Language: Python (100% of codebase)
• License: GPL-3.0
• Architecture: Command-line tool with modular design
• Dependencies: Standard Python libraries for HTTP requests and JSON processing
• Data Storage: JSON-based configuration and results storage

Key Features

• Multi-Instance Support: Works across various Fediverse platforms (Mastodon, Pleroma, etc.)
• API Integration: Leverages Fediverse APIs for data collection
• Discoverable Server Detection: Automatically finds and catalogs available Fediverse instances
• Username Enumeration: Cross-reference usernames across multiple instances
• Open Source: Fully open source with GPL-3.0 license for transparency and community contribution

Future Development Scope

The project roadmap includes:

• User Profile Extraction: Extract detailed user profile information and associated URLs
• Verified Account Detection: Identify and mark verified accounts on Mastodon instances
• Enhanced Metadata Collection: Gather additional user and instance metadata
• Advanced Search Capabilities: Implement more sophisticated search and filtering options
• Reporting Features: Generate comprehensive OSINT reports

Use Cases

Fediverse OSINT is valuable for:

• Security Research: Understanding the Fediverse ecosystem and potential security implications
• Digital Forensics: Investigating activities across decentralized social networks
• Threat Intelligence: Gathering information about potential threats or malicious actors
• Academic Research: Studying social network patterns and user behavior
• Compliance and Investigation: Supporting legal and regulatory investigations

Impact on OSINT Community

This tool addresses a critical gap in OSINT capabilities by providing:

• Fediverse-Specific Intelligence: Specialized tools for the growing Fediverse ecosystem
• Open Source Transparency: Community-driven development and verification
• Educational Value: Demonstrates OSINT techniques for decentralized networks
• Research Foundation: Enables deeper understanding of Fediverse dynamics

Technical Architecture

The tool is built with a focus on:

• Modularity: Clean separation of concerns for easy extension
• API Compliance: Proper handling of Fediverse API endpoints and rate limits
• Error Handling: Robust error handling for network and API issues
• Extensibility: Designed to accommodate future Fediverse protocol changes

Community and Development

• Open Source: Available under GPL-3.0 license
• Active Development: Regular updates and feature additions
• Community Driven: Welcomes contributions and feedback
• Documentation: Comprehensive README and code documentation

Part of Cyfinoid Research’s commitment to open source security tools and OSINT research