Lightning Data Exfilteration

A Python script that connects to a WebSocket server to collect lightning strike data and outputs it in various formats (console log, Excel file, or Google Sheet).

Features

• Real-time lightning data collection via WebSocket
• Multiple output modes:
  • Log Mode: Display data in the console
  • Excel Mode: Save data to a local Excel file
  • Google Sheet Mode: Upload data to a Google Spreadsheet
• Color-coded console output for better readability
• Asynchronous data fetching for efficient performance

Prerequisites

• Python 3.7+
• Google API credentials (for Google Sheet mode)
• Required Python packages (listed in requirements.txt)

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/Manushya-a/Lightening_Data_Exfilteration.git
   cd Lightning_Data_Exfilteration

2. Install the required packages:

   pip3 install -r requirements.txt

3. For Google Sheet mode:

   • For an elaborate explaination of steps head on to GSheet.md, which will provide a comprehensive stepwise guide.

Usage

python3 main.py [mode] [number]

Modes:

• -log: Output data to console
• -excel: Save data to Excel file
• -gsheet: Upload data to Google Sheet

Arguments:

• number: Number of lightning strike events to collect

Examples:

1. Display 10 lightning strikes in console:

   python3 main.py -log 10

2. Save 5 lightning strikes to Excel:

   python3 main.py -excel 5

3. Upload 20 lightning strikes to Google Sheet:

   python3 main.py -gsheet 20

Configuration

For Google Sheet mode, you need to:

1. Replace "Link-to-your-google-spreadsheet" in the code with your actual Google Sheet ID (Line no. 132)
2. Ensure your credentials.json file is in the project directory
3. Ensure you input the target's websocket url (Line no. 184)

Output Format

The collected data includes:

• Latitude and longitude of strike
• Date and time
• Station information
• Altitude
• MDS (Maximum Detection Sensitivity)
• MCG (Maximum Cloud-to-Ground)
• Region
• Delay

Code Structure

The main components of the code are:

1. Color Definitions (bcolors class):

   • Provides colored console output using ANSI escape codes

2. Data Processing Functions:

   • flatten(): Converts JSON objects to list format
   • time_formater(): Converts Unix timestamp to readable format
   • decode(): Decodes the WebSocket message data

3. Output Modes:

   • log_mode(): Prints data to console
   • excel_mode(): Saves data to Excel file
   • gsheet_mode(): Uploads data to Google Sheet

4. Core Functions:

   • fetch_data(): Asynchronously collects data from WebSocket
   • main(): Handles command-line arguments and execution flow

Dependencies

Listed in requirements.txt

Contributing

1. Fork the repository
2. Create your feature branch (git checkout -b feature/fooBar)
3. Commit your changes (git commit -am 'Add some fooBar')
4. Push to the branch (git push origin feature/fooBar)
5. Create a new Pull Request

Known Issues

• Time formatting in Excel output may need adjustment
• Google Sheet mode has rate limits (0.75s delay between updates)

Support

For questions or issues, please open an issue in the GitHub repository.

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This project was developed only for educational purposes and demonstrates WebSocket communication, async programming, and data processing in Python.