Codec and Compression Exploits

264, WebP, HEIC) transform raw data through mathematical compression that creates artifacts, quantization boundaries, and transform-domain representations. These transformations create hiding spaces — steganographic data can be embedded in quantization noise, transform coefficients, motion vectors, and compression metadata. The gap: compression is treated as a transparent content-preserving transformation, but it creates information-theoretic side channels that can carry hidden data while preserving visual/audio quality.

• Compression artifact analysis: Statistical analysis of transform coefficients for non-natural distributions
• Re-encoding defense: Re-encode media through a different codec to destroy hidden data

Codec exploits chain into T9-AT-001 (Image Injection) and T9-AT-002 (Audio Injection) as the technical mechanism for steganographic hiding.