🔍 HashWatcher

A cross-platform file integrity monitoring tool that detects file changes using SHA-256 hashes.

📦 Installation

Build the project:

go build -o hash-watcher cmd/main.go

The binary should be generated from the project's root directory.

💡 How It Works

HashWatcher monitors files by calculating their SHA-256 hashes.

Whenever a monitored file changes (even by a single byte) the generated hash changes as well. By comparing the current hash with a previously trusted hash, HashWatcher detects modifications and can optionally send Slack notifications.

Note: HashWatcher detects file modifications by comparing SHA-256 hashes. While this is an effective way to identify changes in file contents, it is not a complete file integrity or security solution. For example, if both a file and its trusted reference hash are modified by an attacker, the change cannot be detected. HashWatcher should therefore be used as one layer within a broader monitoring strategy.

⚙️ Configuration

Create a JSON configuration file for each directory you want to monitor.

Example:

{
  "directoryPath": "/full/path/to/directory/",
  "fileNames": [],
  "checkFrequencyInSeconds": 60
}

To monitor only specific files:

{
  "directoryPath": "/full/path/to/directory/",
  "fileNames": [
    "file-1.txt",
    "file-2.txt"
  ],
  "checkFrequencyInSeconds": 60
}

To enable Slack notifications:

{
  "directoryPath": "/full/path/to/directory/",
  "fileNames": [
    "file-1.txt",
    "file-2.txt"
  ],
  "checkFrequencyInSeconds": 60,
  "notification": {
    "endpoint": "CXXXXXXXXXX",
    "token": "xoxb-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
  }
}

🚀 Usage

Run HashWatcher by passing the configuration file:

./hash-watcher /full/path/to/configuration/settings.json

Example output:

2024/07/09 11:44:43 => Watching...
2024/07/09 11:45:43 => file-1.txt was modified!
  - Before: e6de32585e70330a8de848b7b7859911e1e108e00dd6527391533853dd7c9409
  - Now:    ea6fcfe57703205da4d1b74ec99a8c67f721b2ab2e9c31d2222da066606d5d44

💬 Slack Integration

HashWatcher can send notifications to Slack using a Slack App.

For more information about Slack manifests, see:

https://api.slack.com/reference/manifests

Create the Slack App

1. Go to https://api.slack.com/apps and click Create New App.

2. Choose From an app manifest and select your workspace.

3. Copy the manifest located at:

doc/slack/slack_app_manifest.yml

Paste it into Slack.

4. Review the configuration and create the app.

5. Open Settings → Basic Information and optionally set the project logo (doc/slack/logo.png) as the app icon.

6. Go to Features → OAuth & Permissions and copy the generated Bot User OAuth Token.

7. Finally, add the app to the desired Slack channel and use the channel ID (endpoint) together with the OAuth token in your HashWatcher configuration.

🗺️ Roadmap

• Monitor subdirectories
• Custom monitoring schedules
• Unit tests
• Functional tests

⭐ Support the Project

If you like this project or find it useful, please give it a star! It helps increase its visibility and supports future development.

📄 License

Distributed under the MIT License. See LICENSE for more information.