Pastebin and Its Incidental OSINT

Pastebin, often referred to as the "clipboard of the web," has become a crucial platform for sharing plaintext documents, source codes, logs, and various data snippets online.

Pastebin has a unique position within the OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) community. It is frequently mentioned in OSINT guides and materials but often without detailed explanation.

This article aims to enlighten readers about Pastebin, its background, how to use it for OSINT, how to use it as it was originally intended, and some other fun asp of the tool.

Some Background

It's important to note that Pastebin itself is not an OSINT tool and was not designed for OSINT investigators to find information. Nevertheless, it does contain a substantial amount of data that can be useful for OSINT, albeit unintentionally.

Pastebin.com, originating in 2002, serves as a central hub for sharing text-based content online. While it facilitates collaboration and information sharing, it has also garnered attention for its darker applications, such as hosting leaked or stolen data. Despite efforts to moderate sensitive content, Pastebin’s vast user base presents ongoing challenges in maintaining a clean environment.

“pastebin” vs “Pastebin”

The term "Pastebin" (with a capital P) refers to pastebin.com.

But there are thousands of pastebins. A pastebin is, by definition, a content-hosting web application that allows users to store and share plain text online. Do “pastebin” refers to the pastebins in general.

Pastebin.com is the most prominent pastebin. For the remainder of this article Pastebin refers to pastebin.com.

Some More Historical Context

Before Pastebin.com, pastebins emerged in the late 1990s to address the need for sharing large blocks of computer data in IRC chatrooms. Over time, they became integral to online communities, prompting the development of specialized tools and bots. However, concerns over data breaches and illicit content led to the rise of alternative platforms like AnonPaste.

Pastebin continues to play a pivotal role in the digital landscape, offering both opportunities and challenges. With the aid of innovative search tools, users can navigate Pastebin’s vast repository with ease, unlocking valuable insights and information along the way. Whether for research, analysis, or curiosity, these tools empower users to harness the full potential of Pastebin’s extensive archive.

To make use of Pastebin as an OSINTer, it would be easy to reach straight for the search tools. Unfortunately, that will just create the illusion of searching Pastebin without finding as much as you could. It is often recommended by experts that anyone interested in searching Pastebin should first sign up for an account and see how Pastebin is meant to be used.

So what is Pastebin and how does it work?

Pastebin, as previously noted, is commonly used by programmers for distributing source code and configuration settings. However, pastebin.com is also open to anyone who wishes to share any type of text. The platform's primary function is to facilitate the sharing of large text blocks online, which can include code, notes, or any other information that can be textually represented.

How to actually use Pastebin (as it is intended)

Even if you are only using Pastebin for OSINT research, you will benefit from understanding it is designed to be used.

Pastebin users can create "pastes," which are text entries that can be shared publicly, privately, or as unlisted—allowing for different levels of accessibility.

The platform also includes organizational tools such as folders, which help users manage their pastes more efficiently. These folders are private and are only visible to the user who created them, although the pastes within can be public. You can go more in-depth into the available tools but for OSINT purposes that is not necessary.

When using Pastebin it is important to know that, in an effort to prevent misuse, Pastebin uses an automated spam protection system which can be annoying for OSINT researcher. That system can require users to complete a captchas while pasting or browsing.

The spam protection system is triggered by activities such as rapid paste creation, duplicate content, or suspicious links.

Pastebin also has an API that often plays a role in OSINT search tools. For those unfamiliar with APIs, (application programming interface), the API allows for programmatic access to Pastebin's services, enabling users to automate interactions with the site or integrate Pastebin's capabilities into other software applications.

To sum up, Pastebin serves as a tool for sharing and managing text online, and includes features supporting that purpose (as opposed to OSINT). Now, on to the OSINT tools.

OSINT Tools

Due to the extensive volume of information hosted on Pastebin, finding relevant content can be a challenge. To address this, several search tools have been developed, each with unique features aimed at simplifying the search process.

RedHunt Labs Online IDE Search (https://redhuntlabs.com/online-ide-search/) is a custom search tool specializes in scouring keywords and strings across various Online IDEs, code aggregators, and paste sites. It has a user-friendly search interface that facilitates efficient exploration of multiple platforms simultaneously.

Pasta (https://github.com/Kr0ff/Pasta) is a Python 3 tool designed for scraping Pastebin content without relying on Pastebin’s native scraping API. Its lightweight and straightforward approach makes it accessible to all users without requiring an account. While not as robust as the Pastebin scraping API, Pasta effectively retrieves usernames, passwords, emails, IP addresses, and more.

 Cipher387’s Pastebin Search Engines project (https://cipher387.github.io/pastebinsearchengines/) provides a comprehensive array of search options for uncovering private and sensitive data on Pastebin. From emails and passwords to API keys and SQL dumps, this tool covers an extensive range of search parameters.

Sniff Paste (https://github.com/gnebbia/sniff-paste) is a multithreaded pastebin scraper, scrapes to mysql database, then reads pastes for noteworthy information. You can sniff-paste.py to go through the entire process of collection, logging, and harvest automatically.

The Pastebin Bisque (https://github.com/bbbbbrie/pastebin-bisque) is a small Python utility that uses BeautifulSoup to scrape a user's Pastebin profile. All public pastes from that user are downloaded to disk.

Old Data Tools

There are several Pastebin search tools that are still functional but only provide access to dated information, typically at least several years old.

PSBDMP.cc (PSBDMP.cc) serves as an archive (all data is from before 2019) of paste dumps, regularly updated to provide users with a wealth of textual data. Although registration is necessary, the platform offers significant value for users seeking access to a diverse range of pastes. Its curated collection makes it a valuable resource for researchers, analysts, and enthusiasts alike.

Pastebin GA (https://search-pastebin.onrender.com/) searches 30+ paste websites that are listed out on the homepage. The list of websites has not been updated since 2021 and search results are typically from 2020 or ealiert.

More Than Just a Tool

In addition to these tools, Pastebin continues to be a source of intriguing posts, leaks, and developments, making it a platform worth monitoring beyond its practical OSINT applications.

For example, earlier this year a paste appeared that had the plot of a Warner Brothers' movie based on the old Coyote vs Roadrunner cartoon. The movie, that follows the Coyote suing the Acme Company, was originally "shelved" but now reportedly intended for distribution thanks in part to Pastebin.

Conclusion

Readers should now have the knowledge and tools to make use of Pastebin to its fullest OSINT potential.