Metadata remover & AES-256 encrypted archiver — strip hidden metadata from your files, then pack them into an encrypted, name-obfuscated 7-Zip archive with a one-time random password. Offline, no telemetry, no shell.
Strix MetaVault is part of the open-source Strix Advanced Tools suite of privacy & security utilities for Windows and Linux.
Every photo, document and PDF you share carries hidden metadata: GPS coordinates, your name, the device you used, edit history, timestamps. Strix MetaVault removes it — and can then wrap the cleaned files in a strongly encrypted archive so they are safe to store or send.
- Metadata removal
- Images (JPEG, PNG, TIFF, WebP, HEIC, RAW…): EXIF, GPS, IPTC, XMP, comments.
- Office (docx/xlsx/pptx + macro/template variants): author, company, title, dates, custom properties, thumbnail, and optionally author names in comments / tracked changes.
- PDF: document info + XMP metadata.
- Audio / video and many more formats via ExifTool.
- Encrypted archiving (7-Zip) — AES-256, encrypted headers (
-mhe=on, so file/folder names inside are hidden), stored timestamps removed. - Randomized output name + cryptographically strong random password (
secrets). - One-time password screen — show/hide, copy (clipboard auto-clears after 60 s), never written to disk or logs.
- Custom-password strength gate — weak passwords are refused or warned about.
- Your originals are never touched — everything runs on copies.
- Dark / light theme, remembered between runs.
- Hardened — no shell, no network, no dynamic code; symlink & zip-bomb guards, PATH hardening, subprocess timeouts. See SECURITY.md.
See docs/screenshots/. (Add dark_theme.png and
password_dialog.png here.)
- Download
Strix MetaVault Setup.exefrom the Releases page. - Run the wizard (Next → Next → Install). Shortcuts and an uninstaller are created.
- Install 7-Zip (required for archiving) and, recommended,
ExifTool — or drop
7z.exe/exiftool.exeinto atools\folder next to the app.
The installer is not code-signed yet, so Windows SmartScreen shows an "unknown publisher" prompt on first run — choose More info → Run anyway. See docs/install-windows.md.
Build the installer yourself: windows/build_installer.bat (needs Python,
PyInstaller and NSIS).
Option A — .deb package (recommended):
sudo apt install ./strix-metavault_1.0.0_all.deb # from ReleasesOption B — install script from source:
git clone https://github.com/strix-tool/strix-metavault
cd strix-metavault
sudo ./linux/install.sh # or: ./linux/install.sh --userBoth pull in the dependencies (python3-tk, p7zip-full, libimage-exiftool-perl,
python3-pikepdf). Full details: docs/install-linux.md.
Run from source (any OS):
pip install -r requirements.txt
python StrixMetaVault.py- Add files or a folder.
- Choose actions: Clean metadata and/or Create encrypted archive.
- Click Run.
- If archiving, save the one-time password in a password manager — it is shown only once and cannot be recovered.
More: docs/usage.md.
| Component | Windows | Linux | Needed for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Python 3.9+ | from source only | python3 |
running from source |
| tkinter | bundled | python3-tk |
the GUI |
| 7-Zip | 7z.exe |
p7zip-full |
encrypted archiving |
| ExifTool | exiftool.exe |
libimage-exiftool-perl |
broad format coverage |
| pikepdf | pip |
python3-pikepdf |
PDF metadata |
Cryptography is deliberately delegated to 7-Zip (AES-256) — no hand-rolled crypto. The app has no network access, spawns no shell, and runs external tools with argument lists (never a command string). Read the full threat model and hardening list in SECURITY.md. Found a vulnerability? See its reporting section.
Issues and pull requests are welcome — see CONTRIBUTING.md.
MIT © 2026 Strix Advanced Tools. Use only on files you own or are authorized to process.