detect-exif

A Python tool that detects and optionally removes sensitive EXIF metadata from image files. Works as both a standalone command-line utility and a pre-commit hook to prevent accidentally committing images with private data.

Why detect-exif?

Images often contain hidden metadata like:

• GPS coordinates of where a photo was taken
• Camera make, model, and serial number
• Date and time information
• Software/firmware details
• Copyright information
• Names, comments, and other personally identifiable data

This tool helps protect your privacy by:

1. Detecting sensitive EXIF data in your images
2. Highlighting specifically concerning information (GPS data, device details)
3. Optionally removing all metadata while preserving the image itself

Features

• Detects various types of sensitive EXIF data in JPG, PNG, and WebP images
• Special checking for GPS coordinates with human-readable output
• Preserves image orientation when removing EXIF data
• Works as a pre-commit hook to detect images with sensitive metadata before commit
• Optional automatic removal of EXIF data (both in CLI and pre-commit hook)
• Integrated with pre-commit hook ecosystem

Installation

pip install detect-exif

Usage

As a Command-Line Tool

Check images for EXIF data (standard output):

detect-exif path/to/image.jpg path/to/another.jpg

Remove EXIF data:

detect-exif --remove path/to/image.jpg path/to/another.jpg

For quieter output (useful in scripts and pre-commit hooks):

detect-exif --quiet path/to/image.jpg

For detailed output with full information:

detect-exif --verbose path/to/image.jpg

As a Pre-Commit Hook

Add to your .pre-commit-config.yaml:

repos:
  - repo: https://github.com/olipinski/detect-exif
    rev: v0.1.0  # Use the latest version
    hooks:
      - id: detect-exif
        # By default, the hook only detects EXIF data with minimal output
        # To enable automatic removal, add:
        # args: [--remove]
        # For detailed output, add:
        # args: [--verbose]
        # For both removal and detailed output:
        # args: [--remove, --verbose]

License

MIT License - See LICENSE file for details