National Imagery Transmission Format (.ntf)
.ntf file signature | image/nitf
National Imagery Transmission Format (NITF) is a standardized image and metadata file format developed for the U.S. Department of Defense and maintained by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. It is used for exchanging satellite, aerial, and intelligence imagery with associated annotations, text, and geospatial metadata across defense and remote-sensing workflows. NITF is generally safe to open, though files may contain large embedded datasets and should still be handled cautiously when sourced from untrusted parties.
Magic Bytes
Offset 0
4E 49 54 46 30 31 2E 31 30
Sources: Apache Tika
All Known Signatures
6 signature variants are documented for .ntf files across multiple sources.
| Hex Signature | Offset | Sources |
|---|---|---|
| 4E 49 54 46 30 31 2E 31 30 | 0 | Apache Tika |
| 4E 49 54 46 30 32 2E 30 30 30 | 0 | Apache Tika |
| 4E 49 54 46 30 32 2E 31 30 30 | 0 | Apache Tika |
| 1A 00 00 | 0 | Gary Kessler |
| 30 31 4F 52 44 4E 41 4E 43 45 20 53 55 52 56 45 59 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 | 0 | Gary Kessler |
| 4E 49 54 46 30 | 0 | Gary Kessler |
Extension
.ntf
MIME Type
image/nitf
Byte Offset
0
Risk Level
Safe
Validation Code
How to validate .ntf files in Python
def is_ntf(file_path: str) -> bool:
"""Check if file is a valid NTF by magic bytes."""
signature = bytes([0x4E, 0x49, 0x54, 0x46, 0x30, 0x31, 0x2E, 0x31, 0x30])
with open(file_path, "rb") as f:
return f.read(9) == signatureHow to validate .ntf files in Node.js
function isNTF(buffer: Buffer): boolean {
const signature = Buffer.from([0x4E, 0x49, 0x54, 0x46, 0x30, 0x31, 0x2E, 0x31, 0x30]);
return buffer.subarray(0, 9).equals(signature);
}How to validate .ntf files in Go
func IsNTF(data []byte) bool {
signature := []byte{0x4E, 0x49, 0x54, 0x46, 0x30, 0x31, 0x2E, 0x31, 0x30}
if len(data) < 9 {
return false
}
return bytes.Equal(data[:9], signature)
}API Endpoint
/api/v1/ntf
curl https://filesignature.org/api/v1/ntf
See the full API documentation for all endpoints and parameters.
Related Formats
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a .ntf file?
A .ntf file is a National Imagery Transmission Format file. National Imagery Transmission Format (NITF) is a standardized image and metadata file format developed for the U.S. Department of Defense and maintained by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. It is used for exchanging satellite, aerial, and intelligence imagery with associated annotations, text, and geospatial metadata across defense and remote-sensing workflows. NITF is generally safe to open, though files may contain large embedded datasets and should still be handled cautiously when sourced from untrusted parties.
What are the magic bytes for .ntf files?
The magic bytes for National Imagery Transmission Format files are 4E 49 54 46 30 31 2E 31 30 at byte offset 0. These bytes uniquely identify the file format regardless of the file extension.
How do I validate a .ntf file?
To validate a .ntf file, read the first bytes of the file and compare them against the known magic bytes (4E 49 54 46 30 31 2E 31 30) at offset 0. This is more reliable than checking the file extension alone, as extensions can be renamed.
What is the MIME type for .ntf files?
The primary MIME type for .ntf files is image/nitf.
Is it safe to open .ntf files?
National Imagery Transmission Format (.ntf) files are generally safe to open. They are classified as low risk because they primarily contain data rather than executable code. However, always ensure files come from a trusted source.