🛡️ APHANIS :: Zero-Trust AI Provenance Firewall & Autopilot
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The Enterprise Zero-Trust AI Provenance Firewall, Automatic Humanizer Engine & Stego Defense Platform
⭐ If Aphanis helps your workflow, please give us a star on GitHub — it helps the project grow! ⭐
Executive Overview • Architecture • 10-Feature Deep Dive • Autopilot Setup • CLI Reference • Python SDK • MCP Integration
⚡ Executive Overview
Modern AI language models (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Gemini) and generative image tools inject invisible tracking signals into their outputs:
- Unicode Steganography: Zero-width spaces (
\u200B), non-joiners (\u200C), joiners (\u200D), BOM (\uFEFF), and Bidi directionality overrides embedded between characters. - Statistical Model Signatures: Rigid token probability distributions, repetitive AI cliché vocabulary (delve, testament, tapestry, spearhead), and formulaic em-dash signatures (
—). - Container Metadata: C2PA manifests, EXIF metadata, XML author properties, and header comments (
# Generated by Claude).
Aphanis (v1.4.0) is an enterprise-grade Zero-Trust AI Provenance Firewall, Natural Humanizer Engine & Stego Defense Platform. It operates 100% on autopilot across coding environments (Claude Code, Antigravity IDE, Cursor, Claude Desktop), automatically stripping invisible watermarks, purging metadata, and converting AI text into authentic conversational human tone.
🏗️ Architecture & Pipeline Flow
Aphanis routes text and documents through a modular 7-stage security pipeline:
[ Raw AI Text / File Asset ]
│
▼
┌──────────────────────────────┐
│ 1. Unicode Sanitizer │ ──► Strips \u200B, \uFEFF, Bidi overrides
└──────────────┬───────────────┘
▼
┌──────────────────────────────┐
│ 2. AI Comment Purger │ ──► Removes "# Generated by Claude" headers
└──────────────┬───────────────┘
▼
┌──────────────────────────────┐
│ 3. Natural Humanizer │ ──► Synthesizes contractions & active tone
└──────────────┬───────────────┘
▼
┌──────────────────────────────┐
│ 4. Statistical Perturber │ ──► Rephrases AI clichés & normalizes em-dashes
└──────────────┬───────────────┘
▼
┌──────────────────────────────┐
│ 5. Custom Rule Engine │ ──► Applies user-defined regex (.aphanisrules.json)
└──────────────┬───────────────┘
▼
┌──────────────────────────────┐
│ 6. 4-Vector Risk Matrix │ ──► Evaluates Unicode, Model, Metadata & Spatial risk
└──────────────┬───────────────┘
▼
┌──────────────────────────────┐
│ 7. SHA-256 Audit Certifier │ ──► Outputs signed Zero-Trust Clean Certificate
└──────────────┬───────────────┘
│
▼
[ Aphanisable Humanized Asset ]
⚔️ Feature Comparison Matrix
| Feature | Basic Watermark Cleaners | Aphanis (v1.4.0) |
|---|---|---|
| Invisible Unicode Steganography Purge | Basic \u200B only |
🛡️ Full 8-char Unicode & Bidi override purge |
| Automatic Natural Humanizer Engine | ❌ No | ✍️ Contractions, active voice, persona selection |
| 100% Zero-Command Autopilot | ❌ Requires CLI commands | 🤖 Intercepts chat outputs & file writes automatically |
| 4-Vector Stego Risk Matrix | ❌ No | 📊 Unicode, Statistical, Metadata & Spatial scoring |
| Office & Jupyter Notebook Cleaning | ❌ Text only | 📓 .ipynb, .docx, .pptx, .xlsx XML purging |
| Cryptographic SHA-256 Certificates | ❌ No | 📜 Signed JSON audit certificates |
| Visual Forensics Heatmap | ❌ No | 🔥 Interactive HTML byte-offset heatmap |
| Spectral Frequency DCT Noise Modulation | ❌ No | 🌊 2D DCT sub-pixel image dither |
| Real-time Clipboard Hygiene Daemon | ❌ No | 📋 Background copy-paste hygiene |
| Git Pre-Commit Hook & CI/CD Shield | ❌ No | 🪝 Auto-installed .git/hooks & GitHub Action |
🌟 Complete 10-Feature Suite Deep Dive
1. ✍️ Automatic Natural Humanizer Engine (aphanis/humanizer.py)
Transforms formal, uniform LLM prose into authentic human writing:
- Contraction Synthesizer: Converts rigid expansions ("it is" $\rightarrow$ "it's", "cannot" $\rightarrow$ "can't", "do not" $\rightarrow$ "don't", "they are" $\rightarrow$ "they're", "we have" $\rightarrow$ "we've").
- Passive Filler Reducer: Replaces 50+ wordy robotic phrases ("in order to" $\rightarrow$ "to", "it is important to note that" $\rightarrow$ "note that", "due to the fact that" $\rightarrow$ "because").
- Organic Transition Variator: Replaces rigid connectors ("furthermore", "moreover", "consequently") with natural human transitions ("also", "plus", "so").
- Tone Personas (
--tone): Support forconversational(default),tech-lead,academic,executive,casual.
2. 🧼 Invisible Steganography Eraser (aphanis/cleaner.py)
Purges invisible tracking characters embedded inside strings:
- Zero-width spaces (
\u200B), non-joiners (\u200C), joiners (\u200D), byte-order marks (\uFEFF), word joiners (\u2060), soft hyphens (\u00AD). - Mongolian vowel separators (
\u180E), variation selectors (\uFE00..\uFE0F), and Bidi overrides (\u200E,\u200F,\u202A..\u202E).
3. 📊 4-Vector Stego Risk Matrix (aphanis/stealth.py)
Evaluates content against 4 threat vectors and calculates Shannon Entropy (bits/char) and Type-Token Ratio (TTR):
- Vector 1: Unicode Steganography Risk.
- Vector 2: Statistical Model Risk (clichés & em-dashes).
- Vector 3: Metadata & Container Risk.
- Vector 4: Spatial Frequency Risk.
4. 📋 Real-Time Clipboard Hygiene Daemon (aphanis/clipboard.py)
Runs a background daemon listening to clipboard events (Cmd+C / Ctrl+C). Automatically cleans zero-width spaces and humanizes copied text before you paste it anywhere else.
5. 🪝 Git Pre-Commit Hook & GitHub Action (aphanis/hooks.py)
aphanis install-hook: Installs.git/hooks/pre-committo prevent committing watermarked files.aphanis init-github-action: Generates.github/workflows/aphanis-hygiene.ymlfor automated CI/CD PR audits.
6. 📓 Multi-Format Document & Office Sanitizer (aphanis/office.py)
Direct sanitization for complex document formats:
- Jupyter Notebooks (
.ipynb): Cleans Markdown/Code cells, strips cell metadata, clears prompt execution logs. - Office Documents (
.docx,.pptx,.xlsx): Wipes core XML document properties (author,comments,title,company).
7. 📜 Cryptographic SHA-256 Audit Certificates (aphanis/cert.py)
Computes SHA-256 hashes of original vs clean inputs, generating signed audit certificates (APHANIS-CERT-2026-XXXX).
8. 🔥 Forensics Heatmap Visualizer (aphanis/heatmap.py)
Renders an interactive HTML diagnostic heatmap displaying exact character byte locations of zero-width tracking spaces (Red), em-dashes (Amber), and AI clichés (Purple).
9. 🌊 Spectral Frequency DCT Noise Modulation (aphanis/spectral.py)
Modulates 2D Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) coefficients in image assets to disrupt spatial frequency watermarks (SynthID style).
10. 🖥️ Cyber-Stealth Web Dashboard & Directory Watcher (aphanis/dashboard.py, aphanis/watcher.py)
aphanis ui: Interactive browser dashboard with visual diff inspector, 4-Vector risk gauges, and exportable certificates.aphanis watch .: Real-time background directory watcher.
🤖 100% Zero-Command Autopilot
Register Aphanis across your AI coding environments in 1 click:
aphanis auto-install
Auto-Registration Targets:
- Claude Code:
~/.claude/skills/remove-ai-marks/SKILL.md - Antigravity IDE:
~/.gemini/config/skills/remove-ai-marks/SKILL.md - Cursor IDE:
~/.cursor/rules/remove-ai-marks.mdc - Git Hook:
.git/hooks/pre-commit
Once registered, the AI assistant formats 100% of chat responses, edits, and file creations automatically.
📦 Quick Start & Installation
Aphanis works on every platform and every skill level. Pick the option that matches you:
🧭 Which Option Is Right For Me?
| You are... | Use this | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| A non-tech person who only uses Claude Desktop | Option 1 | One terminal command |
| A non-tech person who uses claude.ai / ChatGPT / Gemini in a browser | Option 2 | Chrome, Edge, or Firefox |
| Anyone who wants to clean text right now, no install at all | Option 3 | Any web browser |
| Someone who wants a double-click desktop app | Option 4 | macOS / Windows / Linux |
| A developer comfortable with the terminal | Options 5–8 | Terminal access |
| A Python developer who wants the SDK | Option 9 | Python 3.9+ |
Option 1: Claude Desktop Plugin (MCP) — Recommended for non-tech users
Turns Aphanis into built-in tools inside Claude Desktop. After setup, just ask Claude:
"Sanitize this text: ..." or "Check this document for AI watermarks"
Step 1 — Install the engine (one command, no Python needed):
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sanyamk23/aphanis/main/install.sh | bash
The installer automatically:
- Downloads the standalone
aphanisbinary (23 MB, everything bundled) - Registers the MCP server into Claude Desktop's config file
- Adds
aphanisto your PATH
Step 2 — Restart Claude Desktop completely (Cmd+Q, then reopen).
Step 3 — Look for the 🔨 tools icon in the chat box. You now have:
sanitize_text— strips watermarks & humanizes any textsanitize_file— cleans files on diskhumanize_text_tool— makes AI text sound humanevaluate_risk— scores text across the 4-vector risk matrix
Manual MCP configuration (if the auto-setup didn't run)
Add this to your Claude Desktop config file:
- macOS:
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json - Windows:
%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
{
"mcpServers": {
"aphanis": {
"command": "aphanis",
"args": ["server"]
}
}
}
If you installed via pip instead of the binary, use "command": "python3" with "args": ["-m", "aphanis.cli", "server"].
Option 2: Browser Extension — Zero install
Works on claude.ai, ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Google Docs — any website.
- Download the extension folder from
browser-extension/(or theaphanis-browser-extension.zipasset from Releases) - Load it:
- Chrome / Edge / Brave: go to
chrome://extensions→ enable Developer mode → click Load unpacked → select thebrowser-extensionfolder - Firefox: go to
about:debugging#/runtime/this-firefox→ Load Temporary Add-on → selectmanifest.json
- Chrome / Edge / Brave: go to
- A blue 🛡️ shield button appears on every web page. Click it while editing or selecting AI text to sanitize instantly.
Features: paste-to-clean popup, one-click em-dash & watermark removal, full humanization, auto-copy results.
Note: Chrome requires Developer mode for unpacked extensions. A signed store version (Chrome Web Store / Firefox Add-ons) is planned.
Option 3: Web App — No install at all
Open the hosted web app in any browser, paste your AI text, click Full Sanitize, copy the result. Runs 100% client-side — your text never leaves your device.
- Hosted: (deploy
web/index.htmlto any static host — GitHub Pages, Vercel, Netlify) - Offline: download
web/index.htmland double-click it. It works without internet.
Option 4: Desktop App (Electron)
A native window app with clipboard monitoring and a global hotkey (Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+U) that sanitizes whatever is on your clipboard.
cd desktop
npm install # downloads Electron (~200 MB, one time)
npm start # launch the app
npm run dist # build distributable .dmg / .exe / .AppImage
Requires Node.js once, at build time only. The built .dmg/.exe can then be shared with anyone — they just double-click it.
Option 5: One-Command Terminal Installer (macOS & Linux)
Installs a standalone binary to ~/.local/bin — no Python, no pip, no sudo, no GitHub account:
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sanyamk23/aphanis/main/install.sh | bash
Platform detection is automatic: macos-arm64, macos-x86_64, linux-arm64, linux-x86_64. If no prebuilt binary exists for your platform yet, the script falls back to pip install aphanis.
Option 6: System-Wide Installer (all users on the machine)
Puts the binary in /usr/local/bin so every user account on the computer has it:
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sanyamk23/aphanis/main/install-system.sh | sudo bash
Option 7: npm Global (Node.js users)
npm install -g aphanis
The npm package ships a small JS wrapper that downloads the correct platform binary on install (darwin/linux/win32, x64/arm64) and falls back to the Python package if no binary is available.
Option 8: Homebrew (macOS)
brew tap sanyamk23/tap
brew install aphanis
Formula source: Formula/aphanis.rb.
Option 9: PyPI Python Package (developers)
pip install aphanis # standard
pip install git+https://github.com/sanyamk23/aphanis.git # latest from source
git clone https://github.com/sanyamk23/aphanis.git && cd aphanis && pip install -e . # development
⚠️ Release Status
| Channel | Status |
|---|---|
PyPI (pip install aphanis) |
✅ Live |
Claude Code / Cursor / Antigravity autopilot (aphanis auto-install) |
✅ Live |
| MCP server for Claude Desktop | ✅ Live |
| Browser extension (load unpacked) | ✅ Live |
Web app (web/index.html) |
✅ Live (self-host / open locally) |
| Prebuilt binaries on GitHub Releases | 🚧 Publish via make publish (macOS arm64 binary builds today; Linux/Windows cross-builds need CI) |
npm registry (npm i -g aphanis) |
🚧 Pending first publish |
| Homebrew tap | 🚧 Pending tap repo creation |
| Chrome Web Store / Firefox Add-ons listing | 📋 Planned |
💻 Command Line Interface (CLI) Reference
# 1. Clean & Humanize inline text (humanized by default)
aphanis clean-text "Furthermore, it is important to note that we cannot fail."
# 2. Clean with Tone Persona (conversational, tech-lead, academic, executive)
aphanis clean-text "Utilize this tool in order to build." --tone tech-lead
# 3. Dedicated Humanize Command
aphanis humanize "In order to achieve this, it is necessary to move forward."
# 4. Background Clipboard Daemon
aphanis clipboard
# 5. Generate Cryptographic Clean Certificate
aphanis cert document.txt -o cert.json
# 6. Generate Forensics Heatmap
aphanis heatmap document.txt -o heatmap.html
# 7. Evaluate 4-Vector Stego Risk Matrix
aphanis matrix document.ipynb
# 8. Real-Time Directory Watcher
aphanis watch .
# 9. Launch Web Dashboard
aphanis ui --port 8080
# 10. Install Pre-Commit Hook & GitHub Actions
aphanis install-hook
aphanis init-github-action
# 11. 1-Click Autopilot Sync
aphanis auto-install
🐍 Python SDK & API Guide
from aphanis import (
clean_text,
clean_file,
humanize_text,
StegoRiskMatrix,
EntropyAnalyzer,
AuditCertificateGenerator,
HeatmapRenderer,
ClipboardDaemon
)
# 1. Automatically clean and humanize text string
cleaned = clean_text("Furthermore, it is important to note that we cannot fail.", tone="tech-lead")
print(cleaned)
# Output: "Also, note that we can't fail."
# 2. Standalone Humanizer Engine with Persona
humanized = humanize_text("In order to utilize this tool, it is essential to proceed.", tone="tech-lead")
print(humanized)
# Output: "To use this tool, remember to proceed."
# 3. Evaluate 4-Vector Stego Risk Matrix
matrix = StegoRiskMatrix.evaluate("Delve into crucial matters — today.")
print(f"Risk Score: {matrix['overall_clean_score']}/100")
print(f"Risk Level: {matrix['provenance_risk_level']}")
# 4. Generate SHA-256 Audit Certificate
cert = AuditCertificateGenerator.generate_certificate("Raw input text", "Cleaned output text")
print(cert["certificate_id"])
# 5. Generate Forensics Heatmap HTML
html_out = HeatmapRenderer.render_html_heatmap("Delve\u200b into crucial matters.")
🤖 MCP Server & Claude Desktop Setup
Aphanis includes an integrated Model Context Protocol (MCP) server for Claude Desktop.
1. Launch MCP Server via Stdio
aphanis server
2. Configure claude_desktop_config.json
Add the following snippet to your claude_desktop_config.json:
- macOS:
~/Library/Application Support/Claude/claude_desktop_config.json - Windows:
%APPDATA%\Claude\claude_desktop_config.json
If you installed via the standalone binary (Option 1/5):
{
"mcpServers": {
"aphanis": {
"command": "aphanis",
"args": ["server"]
}
}
}
(If aphanis isn't on PATH, use the full path, e.g. /Users/yourname/.local/bin/aphanis.)
If you installed via pip:
{
"mcpServers": {
"aphanis": {
"command": "python3",
"args": ["-m", "aphanis.cli", "server"]
}
}
}
3. Restart Claude Desktop & Use It
After restarting Claude Desktop, talk naturally:
| You say | Claude does |
|---|---|
| "Sanitize this text: ..." | Calls sanitize_text, returns clean + humanized text |
| "Make this sound human: ..." | Calls humanize_text_tool |
| "Check this file for AI watermarks" | Calls sanitize_file or evaluate_risk |
| "How risky is this document?" | Calls evaluate_risk, reports 4-vector scores |
👤 Usage Walkthroughs by User Type
"I only have Claude Desktop installed" (non-tech)
- Open Terminal (macOS:
Cmd+Space, type "Terminal", Enter) - Paste this and press Enter:
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sanyamk23/aphanis/main/install.sh | bash
- Quit Claude Desktop (
Cmd+Q) and reopen it - Done. Ask Claude to "sanitize this text: ..." whenever you need it.
"I use claude.ai in my browser" (non-tech)
- Load the browser extension (Option 2)
- Select any AI response text on claude.ai → click the 🛡️ button → cleaned text is copied to your clipboard
- Paste it anywhere.
"I don't want to install anything"
Open the web app (Option 3), paste text, click Full Sanitize, copy the result.
"I'm a developer using Claude Code / Cursor"
pip install aphanis && aphanis auto-install
Every chat response, file edit, and commit is now sanitized automatically — zero commands per task.
📁 Distribution Artifacts in This Repo
| Path | What it is |
|---|---|
install.sh |
One-command user installer (standalone binary → ~/.local/bin) |
install-system.sh |
System-wide installer (sudo → /usr/local/bin, all users) |
install.html |
Web installer landing page with platform auto-detection |
package.json + install.js + cli-wrapper.js |
npm package (downloads platform binary on install) |
Formula/aphanis.rb |
Homebrew formula |
Makefile |
make build (PyInstaller binary), make publish (GitHub Release), make test |
browser-extension/ |
Chrome/Edge/Firefox extension (popup cleaner + floating shield button) |
web/index.html |
Zero-install browser-based cleaner (100% client-side) |
desktop/ |
Electron desktop app (clipboard hotkey Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+U) |
dist/aphanis |
Prebuilt macOS arm64 standalone binary (23 MB) |
🙏 Upstream Inspiration & Acknowledgments
Aphanis was inspired by early zero-width character stripping concepts from guillaumemeyer/watermarks-remover. Aphanis expands upon these ideas into a full enterprise-grade Zero-Trust Provenance Firewall, Natural Humanizer Engine, 4-Vector Stego Risk Matrix, Cryptographic Certificate Generator, and Autonomous Agent Autopilot platform.
📄 License & Community
Distributed under the MIT License. See LICENSE for details.
- Contributing: Please review
CONTRIBUTING.mdbefore submitting pull requests. - Security Policy: See
SECURITY.mdfor vulnerability disclosure.
Metadata
Release files for aphanis 1.4.2
For a detailed explanation of source distributions (sdists) and built distributions (wheels), please see the package formats documentation.
Source distribution (sdist)
| File | Size | Uploaded | |
|---|---|---|---|
| aphanis-1.4.2.tar.gz | 62.2 kB | Details |
Built distribution (wheel)
| File | Interpreter | ABI | Platform | Reset |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| aphanis-1.4.2-py3-none-any.whl | Python 3 | none | any | Details |
Total release size: 118.2 kB
Release files / aphanis-1.4.2.tar.gz
| Download URL | aphanis-1.4.2.tar.gz |
|---|---|
| Size | 62.2 kB |
| Tags | Source |
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| Uploaded via |
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Release files / aphanis-1.4.2-py3-none-any.whl
| Download URL | aphanis-1.4.2-py3-none-any.whl |
|---|---|
| Size | 56.0 kB |
| Tags | Python 3 |
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