QR-SHIELD Banner

Security Research and Defense Framework for QR Code Threat Analysis

Status & Badges

Overview

QR-SHIELD is a research-grade Python framework for analyzing QR-code-related security risks and supporting defensive evaluation. It helps security researchers, detection engineers, and defensive practitioners study QR-code threat scenarios, develop validation methods, and improve awareness of emerging risks in the QR ecosystem.

Core Mission: Translate security research into practical defensive capability.

This project is built for:

  • Security researchers analyzing QR code threats

  • Detection engineers designing defensive signatures

  • Academic institutions studying emerging attack patterns

  • Authorized penetration testers validating defensive controls

  • Cybersecurity professionals building threat intelligence

Project Philosophy

QR-SHIELD operates on the principle that understanding relevant threat patterns is essential to building effective defenses. By studying how QR codes can be abused in controlled research settings, the project supports stronger detection systems, improved awareness, and more resilient security implementations.

This software is provided for authorized security research, defensive testing, and educational purposes only.

Prohibited Uses

Using QR-SHIELD for any of the following is strictly forbidden:

  • Phishing campaigns or social engineering attacks

  • Unauthorized credential exposure or session access

  • Malware delivery or distribution

  • Fraud or financial crimes

  • Unauthorized access to systems or accounts

  • Any illegal activity

The author and contributors assume no responsibility for misuse or illegal activity conducted with this software.

See ETHICS.md, DISCLAIMER.md, and SECURITY.md for complete legal information.

Features

Core Capabilities

  • QR Code Session Acquisition

    • Multi-platform support: Discord, WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram

    • XPath-based QR detection with cascading fallbacks

    • Automated QR refresh handling

    • Post-login session detection

  • Session Capture and Replay

    • localStorage session capture (Discord, Signal, Telegram)

    • Profile-based session capture (WhatsApp)

    • Session restoration in isolated browsers

    • Interactive session manipulation

  • Browser Automation

    • Selenium 4 integration with automated driver management

    • Firefox-based automation

    • User agent rotation

    • Headless and visible browser modes

  • Extensible Module System

    • Plugin architecture for custom modules

    • Dynamic module discovery

    • Reusable execution contexts

    • Clean CLI integration

  • Research-Grade CLI Framework

    • Interactive command shell

    • Command history and resource files

    • Debug, development, and verbose modes

    • Modular command system

  • HTTP Server Integration

    • Template-based page serving

    • Dynamic port binding

    • Thread-safe operation

    • Jinja2 template support

Architecture Overview

QR-SHIELD
├── Core Runtime (Python 3.10+)
│   ├── Module System (Plugin Architecture)
│   │   ├── Grabber Modules (Session Acquisition)
│   │   └── Post Modules (Session Interaction)
│   ├── Browser Automation (Selenium 4)
│   ├── CLI Framework
│   └── Configuration System
├── Research Modules
│   └── Multi-platform Implementations
└── HTTP Server (Template Rendering)

See ARCHITECTURE.md for detailed technical breakdown.

Use Cases

Security Research

  • Analyze QR code threat surfaces

  • Develop threat detection signatures

  • Study credential exposure scenarios

  • Research emerging attack patterns

Detection Engineering

  • Build QR-based threat detection systems

  • Develop behavioral analytics

  • Create controlled security simulation environments

  • Validate security controls

Defensive Security

  • Authorized penetration testing

  • Security awareness training

  • Defensive control validation

  • Incident response planning

Academic Research

  • Study QR code security

  • Analyze platform vulnerabilities

  • Document security patterns

  • Publish findings and recommendations

Research Objectives

  1. Threat Analysis: Characterize QR code attack vectors and threat models

  2. Detection Development: Engineer detection mechanisms for QR-based threats

  3. Defensive Hardening: Identify and implement defensive techniques

  4. Awareness: Build security consciousness around QR code risks

  5. Knowledge Sharing: Publish findings to advance the field

Repository Structure

qr-shield/
├── README.md                          # Project overview
├── ARCHITECTURE.md                    # Technical architecture
├── CONTRIBUTING.md                    # Contribution guidelines
├── CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md                 # Community standards
├── ETHICS.md                          # Ethical guidelines
├── SECURITY.md                        # Security policy
├── DISCLAIMER.md                      # Legal disclaimer
├── RESPONSIBLE_DISCLOSURE.md          # Vulnerability disclosure
├── THREAT_MODEL.md                    # Threat analysis
├── ROADMAP.md                         # Development roadmap
├── CHANGELOG.md                       # Version history
├── INSTALL.md                         # Installation guide
├── USAGE.md                           # Usage documentation
├── FAQ.md                             # Frequently asked questions
├── LICENSE                            # Community Research License
├── NOTICE                             # Dual Licensing Summary
├── COMMERCIAL-LICENSE.md              # Commercial licensing terms
│
├── core/                              # Main package
│   ├── app.py                         # Application entry point
│   ├── Cli.py                         # CLI dispatcher
│   ├── module.py                      # Module execution
│   ├── plugin_manager.py              # Module discovery
│   ├── browser.py                     # Selenium integration
│   ├── Settings.py                    # Settings loader
│   ├── ui.py                          # UI utilities
│   ├── color.py                       # Color definitions
│   ├── utils.py                       # Utility functions
│   ├── db.py                          # Database registry
│   │
│   ├── config/                        # Configuration system
│   │   ├── models.py                  # Config dataclasses
│   │   ├── loader.py                  # Config loader
│   │   └── defaults.py                # Default values
│   │
│   ├── modules/                       # Extensible module system
│   │   ├── grabber/                   # Session acquisition
│   │   │   ├── discord.py
│   │   │   ├── whatsapp.py
│   │   │   ├── signal.py
│   │   │   └── telegram.py
│   │   └── post/                      # Session interaction
│   │       ├── discord.py
│   │       ├── whatsapp.py
│   │       ├── signal.py
│   ��       └── telegram.py
│   │
│   ├── registry/                      # Module registry
│   │   └── modules.py
│   │
│   ├── templates/                     # Jinja2 templates
│   │   └── phishing_page.html
│   │
│   ├── www/                           # Web assets
│   │   ├── discord/
│   │   ├── signal/
│   │   ├── telegram/
│   │   └── whatsapp/
│   │
│   └── Data/                          # Static data
│       ├── banners.txt
│       └── version.txt
│
├── docs/                              # Documentation
│   ├── architecture.md
│   ├── installation.md
│   ├── usage.md
│   ├── threat-model.md
│   ├── security.md
│   └── images/
│
├── tests/                             # Test suite
│   └── test_settings.py
│
├── sessions/                          # Session storage
├── profiles/                          # Browser profiles
├── pyproject.toml                     # Python project config
├── requirements.txt                   # Dependencies
└── qrshield.py                        # CLI entry point

Quick Start

Installation

Prerequisites:

  • Python 3.10 or later

  • Firefox browser

  • pip package manager

Basic Installation:

git clone https://github.com/dreamed000/QR-SHIELD.git
cd qr-shield
pip install -r requirements.txt
python qrshield.py

For development and contribution, install the optional dev dependencies:

pip install -e ".[dev]"

See INSTALL.md for detailed installation instructions.

First Run

python qrshield.py

You will see the QR-SHIELD banner and an interactive prompt. From there, you can use commands such as help, list, use, options, set, run, and sessions.

Example workflow:

qrshield> list
qrshield> use grabber/discord
qrshield> run

Help System

qrshield> help
qrshield> list
qrshield> info grabber/discord
qrshield> use grabber/discord

Configuration

Environment Variables

  • QRSHIELD_FIREFOX_BINARY - Firefox executable path

  • FIREFOX_BINARY - Fallback Firefox path

  • WSL_DISTRO_NAME - WSL detection

On Windows PowerShell, the same setting can be applied at runtime with:

$env:QRSHIELD_FIREFOX_BINARY = "C:\path\to\firefox.exe"

Runtime Modes

python qrshield.py --debug      # Debug mode with tracebacks
python qrshield.py --dev        # Development mode with module reload
python qrshield.py --verbose    # Verbose logging
python qrshield.py -q           # Quiet mode (no banner)

Resource Files

Execute commands from file:

python qrshield.py -r commands.rc

Direct Command Execution

python qrshield.py -x "use grabber/discord; run"

Threat Model

QR-SHIELD implements research into the following threat scenarios:

  1. Session Exposure via QR Code

    • Observing active sessions during QR-based authentication

    • Evaluating secondary verification controls

  2. Credential Exposure Analysis

    • Reviewing exposure paths from captured sessions

    • Understanding token management risks

  3. Post-Exposure Assessment

    • Evaluating behavior after session exposure

    • Understanding platform response patterns

  4. Attack Surface Analysis

    • Identifying QR-specific security considerations

    • Documenting platform-specific weaknesses

See THREAT_MODEL.md for complete threat analysis.

Security Considerations

Design Principles

  1. Isolation: Research activities should be conducted in isolated, controlled environments

  2. Visibility: Operations should be traceable and auditable

  3. Containment: No persistent changes to systems under evaluation

  4. Consent: Only use against systems you own or have explicit authorization to test

Responsible Use

  • Only operate on systems you control or have written authorization to test

  • Inform relevant parties before conducting authorized testing

  • Document all testing activities

  • Report findings through responsible disclosure channels

  • Never conduct unauthorized access

See SECURITY.md and RESPONSIBLE_DISCLOSURE.md.

Documentation

Document Purpose
README.md Project overview and quick start
ARCHITECTURE.md Technical architecture and design
INSTALL.md Installation and setup
USAGE.md Detailed usage documentation
THREAT_MODEL.md Threat analysis and attack vectors
SECURITY.md Security policy and considerations
ETHICS.md Ethical guidelines and principles
DISCLAIMER.md Legal disclaimer
RESPONSIBLE_DISCLOSURE.md Vulnerability disclosure process
FAQ.md Frequently asked questions
CONTRIBUTING.md Contribution guidelines
CODE_OF_CONDUCT.md Community standards

Roadmap

Version 1.0.0 (First Public Release)

  • ✅ First public GitHub release

  • ✅ Modern Python packaging and developer workflow

  • ✅ Python 3.10+ support

  • ✅ Multi-platform support (Discord, WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram)

Planned Features

See ROADMAP.md for detailed development plans.

Versioning

QR-SHIELD follows Semantic Versioning.

Version Format: MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH

  • MAJOR: Breaking changes or significant rewrites

  • MINOR: New features or substantial improvements

  • PATCH: Bug fixes and minor improvements

See CHANGELOG.md for version history.

Citation

If you use QR-SHIELD in your research, please cite:

@software{qrshield2026,
  author = {Chaudhary, Puneet Chandra},
  title = {QR-SHIELD: Security Research Framework for QR Code Threat Analysis},
  year = {2026},
  version = {1.0.0},
  url = {https://github.com/dreamed000/QR-SHIELD},
  note = {First public release}
}

See CITATION.cff for additional citation formats.

Author

Puneet Chandra Chaudhary

Disclaimer

This software is provided "as-is" without warranty or liability. Use is at your own risk and subject to applicable laws and regulations. The author assumes no responsibility for misuse, damage, or illegal activity.

See DISCLAIMER.md for complete legal terms.

Status

Project Status: Active Development and Maintenance

  • Security: Actively maintained

  • Documentation: Regularly updated

  • Bug fixes: Prioritized

  • Features: Community-driven

Last Updated: July 2026

Repository: github.com/dreamed000/QR-SHIELD