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Articles / Programming Languages / C#

Manipulate Alternate Data Streams

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4.92/5 (19 votes)
23 Jan 20056 min read 100.9K   2.4K   58  
A library you can use to encode "hidden" data in existing files.
using System;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Collections;
using System.ComponentModel;
using System.Windows.Forms;
using System.Data;

namespace ADSTester {
	/// <summary>
	/// Summary description for Form1.
	/// </summary>
	public class frmMain : System.Windows.Forms.Form
	{
		private System.Windows.Forms.Label lblFile;
		private System.Windows.Forms.TextBox txtFile;
		private System.Windows.Forms.Button cmdBrowse;
		private System.Windows.Forms.TextBox txtStream;
		private System.Windows.Forms.Label lblStream;
		private System.Windows.Forms.Label lblData;
		private System.Windows.Forms.TextBox txtData;
		private System.Windows.Forms.Button cmdLoad;
		private System.Windows.Forms.Button cmdClose;
		private System.Windows.Forms.Button cmdSave;
      private System.Windows.Forms.Button cmdClear;
		/// <summary>
		/// Required designer variable.
		/// </summary>
		private System.ComponentModel.Container components = null;

		public frmMain() {
			InitializeComponent();
		}

		/// <summary>
		/// Clean up any resources being used.
		/// </summary>
		protected override void Dispose( bool disposing ) {
			if( disposing )
				if (components != null) 
					components.Dispose();

			base.Dispose( disposing );
		}

		#region Windows Form Designer generated code
		/// <summary>
		/// Required method for Designer support - do not modify
		/// the contents of this method with the code editor.
		/// </summary>
		private void InitializeComponent()
		{
         this.lblFile = new System.Windows.Forms.Label();
         this.txtFile = new System.Windows.Forms.TextBox();
         this.cmdBrowse = new System.Windows.Forms.Button();
         this.lblStream = new System.Windows.Forms.Label();
         this.txtStream = new System.Windows.Forms.TextBox();
         this.txtData = new System.Windows.Forms.TextBox();
         this.lblData = new System.Windows.Forms.Label();
         this.cmdLoad = new System.Windows.Forms.Button();
         this.cmdSave = new System.Windows.Forms.Button();
         this.cmdClose = new System.Windows.Forms.Button();
         this.cmdClear = new System.Windows.Forms.Button();
         this.SuspendLayout();
         // 
         // lblFile
         // 
         this.lblFile.AutoSize = true;
         this.lblFile.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(8, 8);
         this.lblFile.Name = "lblFile";
         this.lblFile.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(26, 16);
         this.lblFile.TabIndex = 0;
         this.lblFile.Text = "File:";
         // 
         // txtFile
         // 
         this.txtFile.Anchor = ((System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles)(((System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles.Top | System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles.Left) 
            | System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles.Right)));
         this.txtFile.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(64, 6);
         this.txtFile.Name = "txtFile";
         this.txtFile.ReadOnly = true;
         this.txtFile.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(560, 20);
         this.txtFile.TabIndex = 1;
         this.txtFile.Text = "";
         // 
         // cmdBrowse
         // 
         this.cmdBrowse.Anchor = ((System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles)((System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles.Top | System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles.Right)));
         this.cmdBrowse.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(624, 6);
         this.cmdBrowse.Name = "cmdBrowse";
         this.cmdBrowse.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(20, 20);
         this.cmdBrowse.TabIndex = 2;
         this.cmdBrowse.Text = "...";
         this.cmdBrowse.Click += new System.EventHandler(this.cmdBrowse_Click);
         // 
         // lblStream
         // 
         this.lblStream.AutoSize = true;
         this.lblStream.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(8, 28);
         this.lblStream.Name = "lblStream";
         this.lblStream.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(44, 16);
         this.lblStream.TabIndex = 3;
         this.lblStream.Text = "Stream:";
         // 
         // txtStream
         // 
         this.txtStream.Anchor = ((System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles)(((System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles.Top | System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles.Left) 
            | System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles.Right)));
         this.txtStream.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(64, 26);
         this.txtStream.Name = "txtStream";
         this.txtStream.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(560, 20);
         this.txtStream.TabIndex = 4;
         this.txtStream.Text = "";
         // 
         // txtData
         // 
         this.txtData.Anchor = ((System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles)((((System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles.Top | System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles.Bottom) 
            | System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles.Left) 
            | System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles.Right)));
         this.txtData.Font = new System.Drawing.Font("Courier New", 8.25F, System.Drawing.FontStyle.Regular, System.Drawing.GraphicsUnit.Point, ((System.Byte)(0)));
         this.txtData.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(64, 56);
         this.txtData.Multiline = true;
         this.txtData.Name = "txtData";
         this.txtData.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(560, 168);
         this.txtData.TabIndex = 5;
         this.txtData.Text = "";
         // 
         // lblData
         // 
         this.lblData.AutoSize = true;
         this.lblData.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(8, 56);
         this.lblData.Name = "lblData";
         this.lblData.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(31, 16);
         this.lblData.TabIndex = 6;
         this.lblData.Text = "Data:";
         // 
         // cmdLoad
         // 
         this.cmdLoad.Anchor = ((System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles)((System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles.Bottom | System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles.Left)));
         this.cmdLoad.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(64, 232);
         this.cmdLoad.Name = "cmdLoad";
         this.cmdLoad.TabIndex = 7;
         this.cmdLoad.Text = "Load";
         this.cmdLoad.Click += new System.EventHandler(this.cmdLoad_Click);
         // 
         // cmdSave
         // 
         this.cmdSave.Anchor = ((System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles)((System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles.Bottom | System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles.Left)));
         this.cmdSave.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(144, 232);
         this.cmdSave.Name = "cmdSave";
         this.cmdSave.TabIndex = 8;
         this.cmdSave.Text = "Save";
         this.cmdSave.Click += new System.EventHandler(this.cmdSave_Click);
         // 
         // cmdClose
         // 
         this.cmdClose.Anchor = ((System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles)((System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles.Bottom | System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles.Right)));
         this.cmdClose.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(552, 232);
         this.cmdClose.Name = "cmdClose";
         this.cmdClose.TabIndex = 9;
         this.cmdClose.Text = "Close";
         this.cmdClose.Click += new System.EventHandler(this.cmdClose_Click);
         // 
         // cmdClear
         // 
         this.cmdClear.Anchor = ((System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles)((System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles.Bottom | System.Windows.Forms.AnchorStyles.Left)));
         this.cmdClear.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(224, 232);
         this.cmdClear.Name = "cmdClear";
         this.cmdClear.TabIndex = 10;
         this.cmdClear.Text = "Clear";
         this.cmdClear.Click += new System.EventHandler(this.cmdClear_Click);
         // 
         // frmMain
         // 
         this.AutoScaleBaseSize = new System.Drawing.Size(5, 13);
         this.ClientSize = new System.Drawing.Size(648, 273);
         this.Controls.Add(this.cmdClear);
         this.Controls.Add(this.cmdClose);
         this.Controls.Add(this.cmdSave);
         this.Controls.Add(this.cmdLoad);
         this.Controls.Add(this.lblData);
         this.Controls.Add(this.txtData);
         this.Controls.Add(this.txtStream);
         this.Controls.Add(this.lblStream);
         this.Controls.Add(this.cmdBrowse);
         this.Controls.Add(this.txtFile);
         this.Controls.Add(this.lblFile);
         this.MinimumSize = new System.Drawing.Size(424, 168);
         this.Name = "frmMain";
         this.Text = "ADS Tester";
         this.ResumeLayout(false);

      }
		#endregion

		/// <summary>
		/// The main entry point for the application.
		/// </summary>
		[STAThread]
		static void Main() {
			Application.Run(new frmMain());
		}

		private void cmdBrowse_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e) {
			using (System.Windows.Forms.OpenFileDialog ofd = new OpenFileDialog()) {
				ofd.Title = "Open file for stream operation";
				ofd.Filter = "All files (*.*)|*.*";
				ofd.Multiselect	= false;
				
				System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult dr = ofd.ShowDialog(this);
				
				if (dr == System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK)
					txtFile.Text = ofd.FileName;
			}
		}

		private void cmdLoad_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e) {
			if (txtFile.Text.Length > 0 && txtStream.Text.Length > 0) {
            string   sText    = string.Empty;

            try {
               sText    = AlternateDataStreams.ADSFile.Read(txtFile.Text, txtStream.Text);

               MessageBox.Show(this, 
                              "Stream data successfully loaded.", 
                              "Stream data loaded", 
                               MessageBoxButtons.OK,
                               MessageBoxIcon.Information);
            } catch (AlternateDataStreams.StreamNotFoundException adse) {
               MessageBox.Show(this, 
                              "Stream " + adse.Stream + " not found in " + adse.FileName, 
                              "Stream not found",
                               MessageBoxButtons.OK, 
                               MessageBoxIcon.Error);
            } catch (Exception ge) {
               MessageBox.Show(this, 
                              "The following error occured:\n\n" + ge.Message, 
                              "Generic error",
                               MessageBoxButtons.OK, 
                               MessageBoxIcon.Error);
            } finally {
               txtData.Text = sText;
            }
			}
		}

      private void cmdClose_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e) {
         System.Environment.Exit(0);
      }

      private void cmdSave_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e) {
         if (txtFile.Text.Length > 0 && txtStream.Text.Length > 0) {
            uint  length = AlternateDataStreams.ADSFile.Write(txtData.Text, 
                                                              txtFile.Text, 
                                                              txtStream.Text);

            MessageBox.Show(this, 
                            length.ToString() + " bytes written to the stream.", 
                           "Stream written",
                            MessageBoxButtons.OK, 
                            MessageBoxIcon.Information);
         }
      }

      private void cmdClear_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e) {
         txtStream.Text = string.Empty;
         txtData.Text   = string.Empty;
      }
	}
}

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Written By
Technical Lead
Canada Canada
I'm a graduate of the University of Toronto with a degree in zoology. I'm currently a software development manager with a large Canadian financial institution, and a passionate squash player.

I am a proud daddy to Alex and Sarah.

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