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Deepfake Detection

  • 77 installs
  • 33 repo stars
  • Updated July 27, 2026
  • dirnbauer/webconsulting-skills

Verifies media authenticity and detects deepfakes using provenance checks, metadata review, noise analysis, and forensic reporting.

About

Provides a framework for detecting synthetic media and establishing provenance using provenance checks, metadata review, PRNU/noise analysis, and forensics. A developer uses it when verifying images, audio, or video authenticity or preparing an authenticity report.

  • C2PA provenance vs PRNU/noise forensics
  • Temporal and semantic consistency analysis

Deepfake Detection by the numbers

  • 77 all-time installs (skills.sh)
  • Ranked #1,122 of 2,203 Security skills by installs in the Skillselion catalog
  • Data as of Jul 29, 2026 (Skillselion catalog sync)
npx skills add https://github.com/dirnbauer/webconsulting-skills --skill deepfake-detection

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Listed on Skillselion
Installs77
repo stars33
Last updatedJuly 27, 2026
Repositorydirnbauer/webconsulting-skills

What it does

Verifies media authenticity and detects deepfakes using provenance checks, metadata review, noise analysis, and forensic reporting.

Files

SKILL.mdMarkdownGitHub ↗

Deepfake Detection & Media Authentication

Source: https://github.com/dirnbauer/webconsulting-skills

Comprehensive framework for detecting synthetic media, analyzing manipulation artifacts, and establishing media provenance in the post-empirical era.

Key Insight: Traditional detection methods (PRNU, IGH, DQ) are like fingerprints—helpful, but disputable. Cryptographic provenance (C2PA) is like a DNA match—cryptographically secure (SHA-256, ~2¹²⁸ collision resistance).

When to Use

  • Verifying authenticity of images or videos before publication
  • Detecting AI-generated or manipulated media (deepfakes, face swaps, synthetic voices)
  • Forensic analysis of suspicious media for legal or journalistic purposes
  • Implementing automated media authentication pipelines
  • Establishing content provenance and chain of custody
  • Countering disinformation campaigns and Advanced Persistent Manipulators (APMs)

Related Skills

  • security-audit - Security assessment patterns
  • security-incident-reporting - Incident documentation for disinformation attacks
  • enterprise-readiness - Infrastructure for automated verification pipelines
  • cli-tools - Auto-installation of required tools

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1. What Are Deepfakes?

Definition

Deepfakes are synthetic media created using deep learning techniques—primarily Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), Diffusion Models, and Autoencoders—to generate or manipulate audiovisual content with a high degree of realism. The term combines "deep learning" and "fake."

Types of Synthetic Media

TypeTechnologyDescription
Face SwapAutoencoders, GANsReplace one person's face with another in video
Face Reenactment3D Morphable ModelsAnimate a face with another person's expressions
Voice CloneText-to-Speech, VocoderGenerate speech in someone's voice from text [[20]](#references)
Lip SyncAudio-to-VideoMake someone appear to say different words
Full Body PuppetryPose EstimationControl a person's body movements
Fully SyntheticDiffusion, GANsGenerate non-existent people, scenes, events

Emerging Capabilities (2025-2026)

TypeAdvancementImplication
Face SwapOne-shot swapping (single reference image), GHOST 2.0 [[24]](#references), DynamicFace [[25]](#references)Minimal source material needed
Face ReenactmentAudio-driven animation, Neural Head ReenactmentFully synthetic video calls
Voice CloneZero-shot cloning (no training on target), Emotional Voice SynthesisClone any voice instantly with emotion
Lip SyncHigh-fidelity with Diffusion Models, Multilingual syncAutomatic dubbing across languages
Full Body Puppetry3D-aware motion transfer, Neural Body AvatarsPhotorealistic real-time control
Fully SyntheticVideo Diffusion Models, Controllable GenerationPrecise control over age, expression, gaze

The Entertaining Side

Deepfakes have legitimate and creative applications:

Use CaseExampleValue
EntertainmentDe-aging actors in films, posthumous performancesArtistic expression
Satire & ParodyPolitical satire, comedy sketchesFree speech, humor
EducationHistorical figures "speaking" in documentariesEngagement, learning
AccessibilityReal-time sign language avatarsInclusion
Gaming & VRPersonalized avatars, NPC facesImmersion
Art & ExpressionDigital art, creative projectsInnovation
Example: The "This Person Does Not Exist" website showcases GAN-generated faces that fascinate users with the uncanny realism of non-existent people.

The Dangerous Side

The same technology enables serious harms:

ThreatDescriptionImpact
Non-Consensual ImagerySynthetic intimate content without consentPsychological harm, harassment, reputation destruction
Political ManipulationFabricated speeches, fake scandalsElection interference, democratic erosion
Financial FraudCEO voice clones for wire transfer scamsMillions in losses per incident
Evidence FabricationFake alibis, planted evidenceObstruction of justice
Liar's DividendDismissing real evidence as "deepfake"Accountability evasion
Identity TheftBypassing facial recognition, KYCAccount takeover, fraud
Disinformation WarfareState-sponsored synthetic media campaignsGeopolitical destabilization
Real Case (2024): WPP CEO Mark Read was targeted by a sophisticated deepfake voice clone attempting to authorize fraudulent transfers [[19]](#references). Deepfake fraud cases surged 1,740% in North America between 2022-2023, with average losses exceeding $500,000 per incident [[18]](#references).

Current Scale (2025-2026)

MetricValueSource
Deepfakes shared annually8 million (2025) vs 500,000 (2023)Industry estimates
Projected synthetic content90% of online content by 2026Europol
Non-consensual intimate imagery (NCII)98% of all deepfakesEU Commission
Key Insight: The exponential growth rate means detection systems face an ever-increasing volume challenge, reinforcing the need for proactive authentication (C2PA) over reactive detection.

The Future of Deepfakes

TimelineDevelopmentImplication
Now (2026)Real-time video deepfakes, commoditized toolsAnyone can create convincing fakes
Near FutureInteractive deepfakes in video callsTrust in live communication erodes
Medium TermUndetectable synthetic mediaDetection becomes probabilistic, not binary
Long Term"Reality-as-a-Service"Authenticated media becomes the norm, unsigned content is suspect

The Detection Arms Race

Recent research confirms the growing challenge of detection generalizability [[1]](#references):

Generation Quality:    ████████████████████░░░░  85% (2026)
Detection Accuracy:    █████████████░░░░░░░░░░░  55% (2026)
                       ↑ Gap widening over time

Key Insight: We are transitioning from a world where "seeing is believing" to one where "cryptographic proof is believing." The future lies not in perfect detection, but in provenance infrastructure (C2PA v2.3) that proves authenticity at creation [[15, 16]](#references). Traditional detection methods (PRNU, IGH, DQ) are like fingerprints—helpful, but disputable. Cryptographic provenance (C2PA) is like a DNA match—cryptographically secure (SHA-256, ~2¹²⁸ collision resistance).

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2. Strategic Context: The Post-Empirical Era

The Crisis of Empirical Evidence (2026)

The boundary between authentic and synthetic media has effectively vanished. Trillion-parameter models have commoditized the generation of photorealistic synthetic content, transforming deepfakes from isolated experiments into an industrialized disinformation capability.

The ABC Framework of Synthetic Media Threats

CategoryDescriptionExamples
A - ActorsMalicious generators of synthetic contentNation-states, APMs (Advanced Persistent Manipulators), commercial disinformation services
B - BehaviorDeceptive patterns and tacticsAstroturfing with synthetic identities, coordinated inauthentic behavior
C - ContentThe synthetic media itselfDeepfake videos, voice clones, GAN-generated faces, manipulated images

The 4D Disinformation Tactics

TacticDescriptionForensic Counter
DismissClaim real evidence is fake ("Liar's Dividend")Provenance verification, cryptographic attestation
DistortReframe authentic events with synthetic fragmentsSemantic consistency analysis
DistractFlood with synthetic noise to obscure truthScale-resistant automated detection
DismayPsychological operations through synthetic threatsConfidence scoring, sensemaking support

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3. System Architecture

LLM Integration Strategy

The skill implements a hierarchical model structure for forensic analysis:

RoleModelVersionFunction
LeadClaude Opus4.5Complex synthesis of forensic data, multimodal analysis, report generation
ValidationGemini Pro3.0Cross-validation of detection results, second opinion on edge cases
ReasoningGLM Pro Thinking4.7Logical verification of causal chains, step-by-step reasoning for forensic conclusions
Model Selection Rationale
  • Claude Opus 4.5: Best-in-class for nuanced multimodal analysis and synthesizing complex forensic evidence into coherent reports
  • Gemini Pro 3.0: Strong visual understanding for cross-validating image/video analysis results
  • GLM Pro Thinking 4.7: Chain-of-thought reasoning for transparent forensic logic that can be audited

Architecture Requirements

1. Asynchronous Processing Pipeline: Handle high token counts from multimodal analysis 2. Vector Database for CRF Profiles: Store and query Camera Response Function signatures 3. RAG Integration: Access forensic reference databases during inference 4. Tool Integration: ffmpeg, ExifTool, ImageMagick for low-level signal processing

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4. Required Tools & Installation

Tool Overview

ToolPurposeRequired
ffmpegVideo processing, frame extraction, audio isolationYes
ffprobeMetadata extraction, container analysisYes (bundled with ffmpeg)
exiftoolDeep metadata extraction, EXIF/XMP/IPTC analysisYes
imagemagickImage processing, format conversionRecommended
jqJSON processing for metadata analysisRecommended
c2patoolC2PA/CAI provenance verificationOptional

Auto-Installation by Agent

When a required tool is missing, the agent will detect this and offer to install it. User approval is required before any installation.

🔧 Tool Missing: ffmpeg

The agent needs 'ffmpeg' for video frame extraction and analysis.
This tool is not currently installed on your system.

Would you like me to install it?
  [macOS]  brew install ffmpeg
  [Ubuntu] sudo apt install ffmpeg
  [Windows] winget install ffmpeg

⚠️ Approval required: Type 'yes' to proceed or 'no' to skip.

Manual Installation

macOS (Homebrew)
# Install all recommended tools
brew install ffmpeg exiftool imagemagick jq

# Optional: C2PA verification tool
brew install c2patool
Ubuntu/Debian
# Install all recommended tools
sudo apt update
sudo apt install ffmpeg libimage-exiftool-perl imagemagick jq

# Optional: C2PA verification tool (CLI now lives in contentauth/c2pa-rs; assets are named c2patool-vX.Y.Z-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu.tar.gz)
# Pick the latest c2patool release from: https://github.com/contentauth/c2pa-rs/releases
curl -L https://github.com/contentauth/c2pa-rs/releases/download/c2patool-v0.26.65/c2patool-v0.26.65-x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu.tar.gz | tar xz
sudo mv c2patool /usr/local/bin/
Windows (winget)
# Install all recommended tools
winget install ffmpeg
winget install exiftool
winget install imagemagick
winget install jqlang.jq

# Optional: C2PA verification tool (from GitHub releases)
# Download from: https://github.com/contentauth/c2patool/releases
Verification
# Verify installations
ffmpeg -version
exiftool -ver
magick -version
jq --version
c2patool --version  # if installed

Tool Usage Examples

ffmpeg for Feature Extraction
# Extract I-frames for PRNU analysis
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "select='eq(pict_type,I)'" -vsync vfr frame_%04d.png

# Analyze inter-frame consistency (temporal artifacts)
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "mpdecimate,setpts=N/FRAME_RATE/TB" -c:v libx264 dedup.mp4

# Extract metadata for container audit
ffprobe -v quiet -print_format json -show_format -show_streams input.mp4

# Isolate audio stream for voice clone detection
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vn -acodec pcm_s16le -ar 44100 audio.wav

# Extract specific frame range for analysis
ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -ss 00:01:30 -t 00:00:10 -c copy segment.mp4
ExifTool for Metadata Forensics
# Extract all metadata
exiftool -json input.jpg | jq .

# Check for editing software traces
exiftool -Software -CreatorTool -HistorySoftwareAgent input.jpg

# Compare metadata between original and suspected fake
diff -y <(exiftool -g1 -a -u original.jpg) <(exiftool -g1 -a -u suspected.jpg)

# Find GPS coordinates (if present)
exiftool -gps:all -c "%.6f" input.jpg

# Check creation/modification times for inconsistencies
exiftool -time:all -G1 input.jpg
ImageMagick for Image Analysis
# Analyze image statistics (useful for noise analysis)
magick identify -verbose input.jpg

# Extract error level analysis (ELA) for manipulation detection
magick input.jpg -quality 95 ela_temp.jpg
magick composite input.jpg ela_temp.jpg -compose difference ela_output.jpg

# Check for resampling artifacts
magick input.jpg -resize 200% -resize 50% resample_test.jpg
C2PA Tool for Provenance
# Show the C2PA manifest (default action)
c2patool input.jpg

# Detailed manifest report
c2patool input.jpg -d

# Quick manifest info
c2patool input.jpg --info

# Show certificate chain
c2patool input.jpg --certs

# Configure trust lists for validation
c2patool input.jpg trust --help
C2PA Test Files for Validation

Official test files from the C2PA organization (CC BY-SA 4.0):

FileDescriptionExpected Result
adobe-20220124-C.jpgValid Adobe certificate, verified signature✅ Chain verified
truepic-20230212-camera.jpgHardware-signed at capture✅ Chain verified
Files without credentialsNo C2PA manifest⚠️ No provenance
Tampered filesModified after signing❌ Invalid signature

Source: c2pa-org/public-testfiles

Understanding C2PA Validation: The chain is verified step-by-step: (1) Certificate verified → (2) Signature valid → (3) Claims unchanged → (4) Image hash matches. One failure breaks the entire chain.

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Detailed Reference

Read the full guide when the task needs detailed examples, long templates, troubleshooting matrices, appendices, or sections not included above. Keep this file unloaded for narrow tasks so the skill follows progressive disclosure.

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