UROIU

UROIU is a security application that implements symmetric encryption for files and directories using AES-128 in CBC mode with HMAC authentication through the Fernet scheme. The architecture supports hiding encrypted information inside images using steganography techniques, and incorporates self-destruction mechanisms after repeated unauthorized access attempts, ensuring data integrity and confidentiality.

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• Military-grade encryption using Fernet (AES-128 CBC + HMAC). This function implements the Fernet symmetric encryption scheme, which combines AES-128 in CBC mode with an HMAC authentication code using SHA256. Each encryption operation derives a key from the password using PBKDF2 with a random salt, ensuring that identical files produce different encrypted outputs resistant to precomputation attacks.
• Two-factor authentication using Key-File (2FA). The system adds a second security layer by requiring a physical file during decryption. This file contains cryptographic material combined with the user password, making data access impossible without possessing the key file even when the main password is known.
• Steganography to hide .UOI files inside PNG and BMP images. This steganography feature inserts encrypted .UOI files into carrier images without altering visual perception. During extraction, the program retrieves the original encrypted file from the modified image, allowing protected data to remain undetected during superficial inspections.
• Self-destruct mechanism after five failed decryption attempts. To prevent brute-force attacks, the application tracks failed decryption attempts for each file. After five consecutive errors, the .UOI file is overwritten with random data and permanently removed, eliminating all recovery possibilities.
• Atomic writes to prevent data corruption during critical operations. All encryption and decryption operations use atomic writing: data is first written to a temporary file within the same filesystem, and only after operation verification does the system rename the temporary file to the final destination, eliminating the risk of leaving partial or corrupted data after interruption.
• Automatic integrity verification using cryptographic hashes. Each encrypted file includes a verification hash validated before decryption. This check detects any accidental or malicious file alteration, preventing extraction of damaged or manipulated data and notifying users about potential integrity risks.
• Secure deletion with random data overwriting. When users encrypt original files, the system does not perform conventional deletion but overwrites content with multiple passes of random data before removing the filesystem entry, complicating any recovery attempts through forensic tools.
• Drag & Drop support in the graphical interface. The interface allows file and folder selection by dragging elements directly onto the application window, simplifying bulk data selection without repeatedly navigating operating system dialog boxes.
• Proprietary .UOI file format with standardized internal structure. All encrypted files use the .UOI extension, encapsulating the cryptographic salt, nonce, integrity metadata, and encrypted content in a structure that facilitates interoperability across different tool sessions and ensures data processing exclusively through this application.
• Independent Key-File generation for physical authentication. Through the Key Manager module, users can generate .uroiukey files that serve as physical authentication factors. These files can be stored on external devices such as USB drives, physically separating required access components and increasing security in environments where passwords may be compromised.
• Protection against replay attacks using unique nonces per operation. Each encryption process generates a random nonce value ensuring that encrypting the same file with the same password produces completely different encrypted results, eliminating patterns that could be exploited to deduce content information.
• File management through a selection list with operation status. The main interface presents an interactive list where multiple .UOI files can be loaded for batch processing. The system displays each file status during decryption operations, allowing users to identify individual failures without interrupting processing of remaining items.

The development history of UROIU began in 2023 when the primary developer identified the need for a tool unifying robust symmetric encryption with steganography techniques within a single operational environment. The project was originally conceived as a personal solution for protecting sensitive information in security analysis environments, later evolving into a structured application with a graphical interface. Development is led by DarkAir05, who has maintained the architecture based on the Python programming language since the initial version, leveraging the cryptography library for encryption and authentication schemes, along with tkinterdnd2 for drag-and-drop capabilities in the interface.

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