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4chan uncovering a Syria rebel base and calling in a Russian airstrike

Introduction

What if I told you that users on 4chan managed to locate a Syrian rebel base using nothing more than a video posted online, and that this discovery ultimately led to a Russian airstrike that destroyed it? That is exactly what happened in 2016. This is not a movie plot, it is a real event. Sometimes, sharing photos or videos online can be a major OPSEC failure, with consequences that can be devastating. That is precisely what we will explore in this blog post.

What is 4chan?

First of all, let us examine what 4chan is and why it matters in this context. Essentially, 4chan is a simple image-based bulletin board where users can share images and post comments. It is meant to be anonymous, but administrators have access to users' IP addresses, which means it is not truly anonymous. Moreover, several data leaks from 4chan have led to some users being identified and imprisoned because of what they posted on the platform. Nevertheless, from the very beginning, 4chan has been perceived by its users as a space of freedom because of this illusion of anonymity, leading many to post and comment without restraint. As a result, the platform quickly developed a controversial reputation, as users often behave in ways they would not elsewhere.

However, within this "Wild West" environment, users have built a strong community and regularly share their expertise to collaborate on a wide range of projects. This collective effort often allows them to tackle complex problems and solve mysteries that are widely considered unsolvable. In the end, 4chan functions as a social network, with recurring users who recognize one another and skilled individuals who freely contribute their knowledge and abilities.

Over the years, 4chan has experienced both highs and lows, but it continues to exist to this day.

What is OSINT?

One of the most important skills shared by 4chan users is OSINT. According to the most common definition, OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) is "the process of gathering and analyzing publicly available information to produce actionable insights, often used in fields such as national security, law enforcement, and cybersecurity. It involves collecting data from various sources, including traditional media, social networks, and public records, in order to inform decisions and assess threats".

In simple terms, OSINT consists of using any freely available data to obtain precise information about a given target. One of the areas where OSINT is most commonly applied is geolocation: determining where a photo or video was taken.

OSINT experts can rely on remarkably sophisticated techniques that require extensive knowledge to geolocate a photo or video. Their investigations may be based on factors such as the position of the sun, vegetation types, car models, road layouts, or even construction details, allowing them to pinpoint precise GPS coordinates. Some are even capable of identifying the exact flight you were on and your seat position using nothing more than a photograph taken through an airplane window.

How 4chan users located a Syria rebel base using OSINT

The hunt

Now that we have seen what 4chan is and what OSINT involves, let us examine how the combination of the two led to the location of a Syrian rebel base. In 2016, a 4chan user shared a YouTube video showing a training exercise conducted at a rebel base in Syria and asked the community to locate it. Many users took up the challenge, and the investigation began.

The first element identified by the researchers was the set of power lines visible in the background. By estimating their size and structure, they were able to infer a sense of scale and distance, which provided an initial framework for narrowing down the location.

After examining other structures visible in the video and comparing their shapes and relative distances using Google Earth, they eventually identified a location that could only correspond to the rebel base.

This is how they were able to pinpoint the rebel base at 35°25'53.9″N, 36°36'45.6″E. By carefully analyzing just a few structures and power lines in the background, they managed to determine the exact GPS coordinates, coordinates that turned out to be entirely accurate.

The fall

Once the rebel base had been located, one of the 4chan users shared the information with someone on Twitter using the name Ivan Sidorenko, who was reportedly connected to Russia's Ministry of Defense. It is impossible to know the true identity of this individual, as the account used the name of a Russian WWII war hero and was later deleted. However, it became evident that he was genuinely linked to the Russian military, as the forces conducted an airstrike on the exact GPS coordinates just a few hours later.

Taking a step back, we can see the chain of events: a leader or member of the rebel base posted a training video on YouTube, someone shared it on 4chan, and this ultimately led to an airstrike on the base. This example clearly illustrates how sharing media online can have serious and unintended consequences.

How can you make OSINT ineffective?

Now that you understand how powerful OSINT can be, you may be wondering how to share photos or videos online without revealing your location. In truth, achieving complete safety is nearly impossible. OSINT researchers are highly skilled, and even the smallest clue can be enough for them to pinpoint information. Nevertheless, there are some precautions you can take to significantly limit the effectiveness of OSINT on your media.

First of all, avoid posting outdoor images. Outdoor environments provide far too much information about your location, and it is extremely difficult to control what can be inferred from them. However, indoor environments can also reveal a great deal about where you are, which is why additional precautions are necessary:

• Avoid any natural light.

• Use only a monochrome background.

• Remove all text or images that may appear in the background.

• Do not display any architectural features.

• Remove any devices that show the time.

• Eliminate local or culturally identifiable products (clothing, decorations, food, etc.).

• Remove anything that could cause reflections.

• Strip all metadata from your media files.

• Wear neutral, non-distinctive clothing.

• Ensure that no unfamiliar individuals appear in the background.

• Prevent any outside sounds from being captured.

These precautions can help reduce the risk of being identified through OSINT, but they can never guarantee complete safety. OSINT experts are constantly improving their techniques and are remarkably skilled at detecting subtle details that most people would never notice.

OSINT Toolbox

If you are interested in gaining a deeper understanding of how OSINT works, whether to practice it or to protect yourself against it, there are many helpful resources available online. Several websites are dedicated to OSINT tutorials and can help you learn the fundamentals.

However, one element is especially important for OSINT researchers: tools. As with any discipline, having the right tools significantly improves efficiency. One particular tool that deserves special attention is OSINT Framework.

OSINT Framework is a website designed to help you find all the resources needed for OSINT investigations. It is structured as a simple tree, where each category leads to subcategories and ultimately to specific tools. For example, if you want to extract metadata from a photo, you would first select the "Images / Videos / Docs" section in the tree.

Then, you will select the "Images" section.

Once here, your choice will go to the "Metadata" section.

You then gain access to a wide range of tools that can help you extract metadata from your image. I strongly encourage you to explore the OSINT Framework in depth, as it provides a comprehensive overview of the methods and resources available for OSINT investigations.

Conclusion

In my opinion, this story perfectly illustrates the power of online communities, and, of course, the dangers of sharing information publicly. 4chan is not the only platform where OSINT experts operate, some have even built entire businesses around it. The key question you should always ask yourself before posting something online is: "Could this post get me into trouble?" (Spoiler: In most cases, yes, especially if your OPSEC is less than perfect.) Remember, true anonymity and privacy online are incredibly difficult to achieve, and the false sense of security they provide can be far more dangerous than having no privacy at all.

Sometimes, a simple photo or video can provide GPS coordinates to experts. Would you share your location online? It's essentially the same thing.

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Crabmeat 2026-02-11
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