Instagram OSINT Cheatsheet by Offensive Security

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Instagram OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence) is a powerful technique for gathering publicly available information from Instagram. Offensive Security has compiled a cheatsheet with tips, tricks, and command-line tools to enhance OSINT investigations.

URL: Instagram OSINT Cheatsheet

You Should Know:

Essential OSINT Tools & Commands

1. Instalooter (Instagram Scraper)

pip install instalooter 
instalooter user <username> ./downloads 

Downloads media from a public Instagram profile.

2. Osintgram (Python-Based Instagram OSINT)

git clone https://github.com/Datalux/Osintgram 
cd Osintgram 
pip install -r requirements.txt 
python3 main.py <target_username> 

Extracts metadata, followers, and geolocation data.

3. Sherlock (Username Search)

git clone https://github.com/sherlock-project/sherlock 
cd sherlock 
python3 sherlock <username> 

Checks if the username exists across multiple platforms.

4. ExifTool (Metadata Extraction)

exiftool downloaded_image.jpg 

Extracts hidden metadata from images.

5. Wayback Machine (Archived Pages)

curl -I "https://web.archive.org/web//https://instagram.com/<username>" 

Checks historical Instagram profile snapshots.

6. Google Dorking for Instagram

site:instagram.com intext:"<username>" 

Finds indexed Instagram profiles and posts.

What Undercode Say:

OSINT is a critical skill for cybersecurity professionals, ethical hackers, and investigators. Mastering Instagram OSINT involves:
– Automation with Python (e.g., Instalooter, Osintgram).
– Metadata Analysis (ExifTool, FOCA for Windows).
– Cross-Platform Verification (Sherlock, Maltego).
– Historical Data Mining (Wayback Machine, Archive.org).

Expected Output:

A structured OSINT report containing:

  • Profile details
  • Followers/following lists
  • Geolocation tags
  • Deleted post archives

Prediction:

As social media platforms enhance privacy controls, OSINT tools will evolve to leverage AI-driven data scraping and deep web indexing, making investigations faster and more accurate.

Expected Output:

[+] Instagram OSINT Report for <username> 
- Media Files: 120 
- Followers: 5,432 
- Last Active: 2025-05-20 
- Geolocations: New York, London 
- Archived Posts: 15 (via Wayback Machine) 

IT/Security Reporter URL:

Reported By: Https: – Hackers Feeds
Extra Hub: Undercode MoN
Basic Verification: Pass ✅

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