An image steganography method and system combining QR codes and S-box chaotic scrambling

Abstract

This invention proposes an image steganography method and system that combines QR codes and S-box chaotic scrambling. The method involves preprocessing the confidential information to be hidden, converting the format to obtain a QR code, performing chaotic mapping on the embedded color image to obtain an S-box, and then using the S-box to scramble and encrypt the QR code using chaotic mapping to obtain an encrypted QR code. The encrypted QR code is then hidden within the color image to obtain a steganographic image containing encrypted information. This invention hides information by steganography using encrypted QR codes within a color image, achieving steganography while ensuring the security of confidential information, thus completing the entire process of encryption and information hiding required for the secure transmission of confidential messages.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of image steganography, and particularly relates to an image steganography method and system that combines QR codes and S-box chaotic scrambling. Background Technology

[0002] The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present invention and do not necessarily constitute prior art.

[0003] The advancement of science has made the information age an irreversible trend, and network communication, as an important part of information technology, has become a key research focus and direction. Encryption protects confidential information from direct reading by third parties, but it cannot prevent the destruction, alteration, or even decryption of confidential messages.

[0004] Therefore, information hiding techniques have been proposed, but problems such as low embeddable data capacity and security of steganographic content have become increasingly prominent with the development of technology. QR codes effectively solve the problems of low embeddable information confidentiality and limited data capacity. Combined with the cryptographic characteristics of S-box chaotic scrambling, the security of steganographic content is further improved, providing a new approach to steganography. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To overcome the shortcomings of the existing technologies, this invention integrates encryption and steganography processes, providing an image steganography method and system that combines QR codes with S-box chaotic scrambling. By steganography of encrypted QR codes onto color images, information is hidden, and steganography is completed while ensuring the security of confidential information. This completes the entire process of encryption and information hiding required for the secure transmission of confidential messages.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, one or more embodiments of the present invention provide the following technical solutions:

[0007] The first aspect of this invention provides an image steganography method that combines QR codes with S-box chaotic scrambling;

[0008] An image steganography method combining QR codes and S-box chaotic scrambling includes:

[0009] The hidden confidential information is preprocessed and converted to obtain a QR code;

[0010] The embedded color image is subjected to chaotic mapping to obtain an S-box. The QR code is then scrambled and encrypted using the S-box through chaotic mapping to obtain the encrypted QR code.

[0011] The encrypted QR code is hidden within a color image to obtain a steganographic image containing encrypted information.

[0012] Furthermore, the preprocessing involves using base64 encoding to process the confidential information to be hidden, and then using a QR code generator to convert the confidential information to be hidden into a QR code.

[0013] Furthermore, before performing chaotic mapping on the embedded color image to obtain the S-box, the embedded color image needs to be encrypted using SHA-256. The resulting sequence value is then converted into a 256-bit binary value, and the average value is used as the chaotic encryption key x.

[0014] Furthermore, the S-box is obtained by performing a Logistic chaotic mapping on the key x under the chaotic mapping coefficients μ.

[0015] Furthermore, the scrambling involves performing two rounds of scrambling on the QR code: the first round is S-box scrambling, and the second round is iterative segmentation scrambling.

[0016] Furthermore, the color image is first divided into red, green, and blue image components and then into blocks. The corresponding blocks are selected for steganography. The QR code is converted into a vector. The sequence number is modulo 3, and units with the same remainder are embedded into the same image component to obtain a steganographic image with encrypted information.

[0017] Furthermore, it also includes performing content reading operations on the steganalyte image by using the color image to be embedded and the chaotic mapping coefficient μ, thereby completing the reading of confidential information.

[0018] A second aspect of the present invention provides an image steganography system that combines QR codes with S-box chaotic scrambling.

[0019] An image steganography system combining QR codes and S-box chaotic scrambling includes a preprocessing module, a scrambling and chaotic mapping module, and a steganography module.

[0020] The preprocessing module is configured to preprocess the hidden confidential information and convert the format to obtain a QR code.

[0021] The scrambling and chaotic mapping module is configured to: perform chaotic mapping on the color image to be embedded to obtain an S-box, and use the S-box to scramble and encrypt the QR code to obtain the encrypted QR code;

[0022] The steganography module is configured to hide the encrypted QR code within a color image, resulting in a steganographic image containing encrypted information.

[0023] A third aspect of the present invention provides a computer-readable storage medium having a program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of an image steganography method combining QR codes and S-box chaotic scrambling as described in the first aspect of the present invention.

[0024] A fourth aspect of the present invention provides an electronic device, including a memory, a processor, and a program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor executes the program to implement the steps of an image steganography method combining QR codes and S-box chaotic scrambling as described in the first aspect of the present invention.

[0025] The above one or more technical solutions have the following beneficial effects:

[0026] This invention proposes a method to hide information by steganographically embedding encrypted QR codes into color images, thereby combining the content security and transmission security of confidential messages, achieving the integration of encryption and steganography, and effectively improving the integrity and efficiency of confidential information transmission.

[0027] This invention relates to two aspects: encryption and steganography of confidential information, and organically links the two to achieve integration and correlation between encryption and steganography. The proposed two-round scrambling technique has good encryption effect and security in QR code scrambling encryption. The proposed carrier image segmentation and dynamic bit replacement technique effectively ensures the security of the steganographic content and minimizes the visual changes of the carrier image, thereby obtaining a better steganography effect.

[0028] Advantages of additional aspects of the present invention will be given in part in the following description and in part will be obvious from the following description, or will be learned through practice of the present invention. Attached Figure Description

[0029] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this invention, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments of the invention and their descriptions are used to explain the invention and do not constitute an improper limitation of the invention.

[0030] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the method in the first embodiment;

[0031] Figure 2 Image showing the effect of hiding and encoding;

[0032] Figure 3 Image showing the effect of scrambling and encrypting a QR code;

[0033] Figure 4 A schematic diagram illustrating the effect of image block segmentation;

[0034] Figure 5 A flowchart for steganography and dynamic bit replacement;

[0035] Figure 6 A flowchart for reading steganographic information;

[0036] Figure 7 This is a screenshot showing the effect of reading steganographic information.

[0037] Figure 8 This is a comparison image showing the effect before and after steganography.

[0038] Figure 9 For LSS extraction results;

[0039] Figure 10 This is a SAC test graph. Detailed Implementation

[0040] It should be noted that the following detailed descriptions are exemplary and intended to provide further illustration of this disclosure. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this disclosure pertains.

[0041] It should be noted that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular implementations only and is not intended to limit the exemplary implementations according to this disclosure. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is also intended to include the plural form. Furthermore, it should be understood that the terms “comprising” and “having”, and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such process, method, product, or apparatus.

[0042] Where there is no conflict, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other.

[0043] Terminology Explanation:

[0044] QR Code: A QR code (Quick Response Code) is a matrix barcode, a type of two-dimensional barcode. Because it can be recognized faster than other codes, it is also called a fast response matrix code. It mainly consists of positioning graphics, encoded information, and blank areas. A QR code is composed of dark and light color blocks, which can be represented by a binary image. The dark blocks represent binary 1s, and the light blocks represent binary 0s. As a high-density code, the QR code has the characteristics of large information capacity, wide encoding range, strong fault tolerance, and a certain degree of error correction capability, and is considered an ideal choice for enhancing data confidentiality.

[0045] S-box: An S-box (Substitution-box) is a non-linear structure used in cryptographic permutation computations. The main function of an S-box is to perform permutation operations on algorithms to achieve non-linear scrambling and diffusion of the original data; therefore, it is also called a vector function or a multi-output Boolean function. Currently, S-boxes come in a variety of sizes, mainly 4×4, 8×8, 16×16, and 8×32. The S-box used in this technique is 16×16.

[0046] Chaos and Chaotic Mapping: Chaos refers to an irregular behavior in a deterministic system, characterized by uncertainty, non-repeatability, and unpredictability; Chaotic Mapping is the mathematical representation of a chaotic system, used to generate chaotic sequences.

[0047] Chaotic Sequence: A chaotic sequence is a random sequence generated by a deterministic system. It has the characteristics of nonlinearity, pseudo-randomness, non-periodicity, unpredictability, and sensitivity to initial values. It can be used to generate pseudo-random numbers. In cryptography, different initial values ​​of chaotic maps can cause differences in encryption operations.

[0048] Least significant bit (LSB): The least significant bit (LSB) refers to the least significant bit (i.e., bit 0) of a binary number. LSB is widely used in image steganography. Since the pixels of an image are described using unsigned values ​​of 0-255, the modification of the least significant bit has the least impact on the pixel value and is difficult to detect with the naked eye in the image. Therefore, it is widely used in image steganography.

[0049] This invention hides information by steganography of QR codes into a color image. First, base64 encoding is used to process the encrypted information, and a QR code generator converts the confidential information into a two-dimensional binary matrix (QR code). Then, the color image to be embedded is used as the key for SHA-256 encryption. The resulting sequence value is then processed through a Logistic chaotic mapping to obtain an S-box, and the QR code is scrambled and encrypted using chaotic mapping. Finally, dynamic bit substitution technology is used to partially fuse the QR code into the red, green, and blue domains of the color image. The three color channels are then integrated to obtain a color image carrying the encrypted information, thus completing the steganography.

[0050] Example 1

[0051] This embodiment discloses an image steganography method that combines QR codes with S-box chaotic scrambling;

[0052] An example will be described using "Hello QLU" as the confidential information to be hidden and a 512×512 pixel color Lena image as the color image to be embedded.

[0053] like Figure 1 As shown, an image steganography method combining QR codes and S-box chaotic scrambling includes:

[0054] S1: Preprocess the hidden confidential information and convert the format to obtain a QR code;

[0055] To enhance security, the confidential information to be hidden is converted into a QR code. The confidential information in the image is converted into a two-dimensional binary matrix (QR code). The specific steps are as follows:

[0056] S1-1: base64 encoding

[0057] Base64 encoding is performed on the hidden confidential data. See details for specific operations. Figure 5 The confidential data is converted into its corresponding binary value using ASCII codes. The binary data is then regrouped, with each group consisting of three 8-bit binary sequences totaling 24 bits. These sequences are then divided into four 6-bit binary strings, and the corresponding ASCII codes for each binary value are converted into four characters, thus completing the base64 encoding.

[0058] S1-2: QR code generation

[0059] The final string is converted into a two-dimensional binary matrix (QR code) using a QR code generator. The hiding and encoding effects are as follows. Figure 2 .

[0060] S2: Perform chaotic mapping on the color image to be embedded to obtain the S-box. Use the S-box to scramble and encrypt the QR code using chaotic mapping to obtain the encrypted QR code.

[0061] The color image to be embedded is used as the key to perform chaotic mapping to obtain the S-box. The S-box is then used to scramble the QR code. Finally, the scrambled QR code is encrypted with the chaotic sequence to obtain the encrypted QR code. The specific operations are as follows:

[0062] S2-1: Generate key

[0063] The color image to be embedded is encrypted using SHA-256. The resulting sequence value is converted into a 256-bit binary value, and the average value is used as the key x for chaotic encryption.

[0064] S2-2: Generate the S-box

[0065] Set the Logistic chaotic mapping coefficient μ = 3.99999, and perform chaotic mapping on the key x according to formula (1) to obtain a chaotic sequence s; divide the (0,1] interval into units of 1 / 256, and iterate the chaotic sequence s to generate an empty sequence Z, and analyze the value d of each iteration. If the value is located in If no other value is placed in the corresponding interval, write 256 times (i) of the lower bound of the interval into the sequence Z until the number of elements in the Z sequence is 256; transform the sequence Z into a second-order matrix (16×16), that is, a 16×16 S-box.

[0066] The chaotic mapping uses the Logistic mapping method, and the specific calculation formula is as follows:

[0067] x n+1 =μx n (1-x n (1)

[0068] Here, x∈[0,1] and μ∈[0,4] are called branch parameters. When the value of μ changes, the iterative equation will exhibit different dynamic limit behaviors.

[0069] S2-3: Two-round scrambling of QR codes

[0070] Padded with zeros to make the one-dimensional vector of the QR code sequence 16. N Where N is the smallest positive integer greater than the length of the QR code sequence; the padded QR code is divided into 16 parts, and the 16 small blocks are scrambled using S-boxes. Then, the scrambling operation is performed iteratively on each small block until it cannot be divided further (i.e., the smallest unit is a 16*16 block). The encrypted data information of each small block is then combined after S-box permutation to obtain the diffused scrambling encrypted QR code image.

[0071] S2-4: Logistic Chaotic Sequence Encryption

[0072] Set the Logistic chaotic mapping coefficient μ = 3.99999, and perform chaotic mapping on the key x according to formula (1), setting the iteration number to 16. N Where N is the smallest positive integer greater than the length of the QR code sequence, the chaotic sequence is obtained by iteration, and for each round of the chaotic sequence x n Using formula (2) for binary classification, we obtain a result from y n The binary sequence obtained by combining the binary sequences is XORed with the scrambled image. The QR code scrambling encryption effect is as follows: Figure 3 As shown.

[0073] Two-round scrambling encryption of chaotic sequences requires binary classification of the chaotic sequence, with the specific formula as follows:

[0074]

[0075] Where, x n y represents the value obtained by iterating the chaotic map n times. n x represents n The corresponding binary value.

[0076] S3: Hide the encrypted QR code in the color image to obtain a steganographic image with encrypted information.

[0077] First, the color image to be embedded is divided into red, green, and blue image components and then divided into blocks. The corresponding blocks are then used for steganography. Simultaneously, the QR code is converted into a vector, and the sequence number is modulo 3. Units with the same remainder are embedded into the same image component, such as... Figure 5 As shown, the specific steps are as follows:

[0078] S3-1: Separate the RGB channels of the color image to be embedded, and obtain the pixel sequence of the three color image components (RGB); group the encrypted QR code sequence obtained after step S2, specifically by performing a modulo 3 operation on the sequence number, and grouping the sequence numbers with the same value (0, 1, 2) into one group, which are Q... r Q g Q b .

[0079] S3-2: Taking the red image component as an example, determine the location of the steganographic block. Assume the QR code consists of m*m pixels, and the color image consists of n*n pixels (n>m). Dividing the color image into m*m blocks will yield... The following are valid blocks: Figure 4 As shown. The key x from step S2 and the Logistic chaotic mapping coefficient μ are iterated for t rounds (t = 1, 2, 3, corresponding to the number of iterations under the red, green, and blue image components, respectively) to obtain the iteration value s (where s ∈ (0, 1)). The result is calculated according to formula (3) (D). R D R The pixels are divided into blocks and used as the pixels to be steganized.

[0080] The selection of the steganographic block requires combining chaotic operations to determine its location. The specific formula is as follows:

[0081]

[0082] Among them, (D) R D R ) represents the embedding position coordinates, s∈(0,1) represents the iteration value obtained by formula (1) with initial value x and parameter μ for t iterations (t=1,2,3, corresponding to the number of iterations under red, green and blue image components respectively), and n and m are the pixel values ​​of the encrypted image and the carrier image respectively.

[0083] S3-3: Divide the red image component into 2×2 pixel blocks according to formula (4).

[0084]

[0085] Among them, C R c represents the division of the red color channel in the carrier image. rn Each pixel block is composed of pixels, b r (m,n) represents the pixel value of the carrier image at position (m,n).

[0086] S3-4: Measure the average value of each 2×2 pixel block and take its decimal part. right Then take the modulo 4 to get k. n Value, where k n The value ranges from 0 to 3; the generated k value is used to identify the embedding position of the encrypted QR code in the corresponding color image; where K R ={k1,k2,k3,……,k n} represents the embedding bit tag vector of the red image component; accordingly, the QR code Q r The sequence is LSB embedded in the corresponding order of formula (5) to complete the steganography of the red image component.

[0087]

[0088] Among them, K R The key value represents a certain block of the red channel in the carrier image, and the embedding rules are different for different key values.

[0089] S3-5: Similarly, use the green and blue image components to represent the Qg and Q of the QR code. b The sequence is used for information steganography, where K G K B These are the embedding bit tag vectors for the green and blue image components, respectively.

[0090] S3-6: Integrate the three-color image component sequences, convert the integrated pixel sequence into a steganographic image with encrypted information, and finally send the steganographic image with encrypted information to the receiver to complete the information steganography operation. The original color image and the Logistic chaotic mapping coefficient μ are used as the key. A comparison of the image effects before and after steganography is shown below. Figure 8 As shown.

[0091] S4: Reading Steganographic Information

[0092] Reading hidden information is the inverse operation of information steganography, such as... Figure 6 As shown, the specific steps are as follows:

[0093] S4-1: After receiving the steganographic image containing encrypted information, the receiver obtains the steganographic block position by iterating through the Logistic chaotic mapping coefficient μ and the color image hash value, and then performs color channel segmentation and mean classification on the original image to obtain K. R K G K B The sequence is obtained by reading the information hidden in the least significant bit of the LSB corresponding to the color image containing encrypted information in the pixel block, thus obtaining the QR code encryption sequence.

[0094] S4-2: Hash the original image to obtain the key x and perform an XOR operation on the binary classification sequence obtained by iterating with the coefficient μ and the QR code encryption sequence. Then use the key x and the parameter μ to generate the S-box using the Logistic mapping. Perform the inverse permutation of the S-box on the XORed sequence to obtain the binary sequence of the QR code.

[0095] S4-3: Convert the sequence into a binary image and read it using a QR code reader. Decode the obtained information using base64 to get the confidential information. The effect of reading the steganographic information is illustrated below. Figure 7 .

[0096] To systematically evaluate QR code image encryption and steganography techniques, the following analysis examines the security performance of image steganography from the perspectives of SSIM, PSNR, and LSB steganography security, and analyzes the security performance of QR code image encryption from the perspective of SAC criteria.

[0097] Structural Similarity Index (SSIM)

[0098] SSIM is an index used to quantify the structural similarity between two images. It compares and analyzes structural similarity by mimicking the human visual system, and is sensitive to subtle changes. Its measurement perspective mainly quantifies image attributes from the aspects of brightness, contrast and structural similarity. The mean, variance and covariance are used to estimate the brightness, contrast and structural similarity of the image, respectively. The value range is [0,1], and the value is proportional to the image similarity.

[0099] According to formula (6), the SSIM of the original image and the encrypted image proposed in this invention is 0.9958232360662391. That is, the images before and after steganography are close to the same in human visual observation. It is difficult to detect the difference between the image containing steganographic information and the original image. The information has a good hiding effect.

[0100] Steganography performance analysis requires calculating SSIM, and the specific calculation formula is as follows:

[0101]

[0102] μ x It is the average value of x, μ y It is the average value of y, σ x 2 σ is the variance of x. y 2 σ is the variance of y. xy Let C1 be the covariance of x and y. C1 = (k1L) 2 C2 = (k2L) 2 These are constants used to maintain stability. L is the dynamic range of pixel values. k1 = 0.01, k2 = 0.03.

[0103] Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR)

[0104] PSNR is a reference value for measuring image quality. It is measured by the maximum signal and noise, and the unit is dB. The PSNR value is inversely proportional to the degree of image distortion; that is, the higher the value, the less the image distortion. Generally speaking, 40 dB is used as the dividing line between good and bad quality PSNR: above 40 dB indicates that the image quality is close to the original image quality; between 30-40 dB indicates that the image distortion loss is within an acceptable range; between 20-30 dB indicates that the image has some distortion and is of poor quality; and below 20 dB indicates that the image is severely distorted.

[0105] The PSNR of the steganography scheme proposed in this invention was calculated to be 48.0641dB according to formula (7), which is within the normal range. However, since the scheme proposed in this invention can hide information in the three color channels separately, it can embed 2-3 times the number of pixels of the carrier image in extreme mode, and the PSNR value is still at a high level. Under normal circumstances, it is acceptable. In visual perception and SSIM test, it was found that it is difficult to distinguish visually, which to a certain extent confirms that it is difficult to find the difference in the image after steganography, and the steganography effect is still guaranteed.

[0106] The specific formula for calculating PSNR is:

[0107]

[0108] Where MSE is the mean squared error between the original image and the stegated image.

[0109] LSB Steganography Security (LSS)

[0110] LSS is an indicator for evaluating the security of extracting steganographic information based on LSB experience. LSB steganography has a long history of development, and it is very easy to extract the effective information hidden in LSB through experience. In LSB steganography security, the security of the steganography scheme is verified by directly extracting the least significant bit of the image containing the steganographic message.

[0111] The LSS extraction effect of this invention is as follows: Figure 9 As shown, through extraction and analysis, it was found that the method of the present invention, because it performs steganography on the three color channels separately, cannot completely extract the information hidden in the image by only extracting the least significant bit, thus having a certain degree of security.

[0112] Strict Avalanche Criterion (SAC)

[0113] SAC is a comparison parameter for the hashing of encryption algorithms. It is based on the avalanche effect, which means that a small change in the input will cause a change in the output. Specifically, if a certain output bit is flipped, there is a 0.5 probability that any bit of the output result will change, which is the ideal situation.

[0114] This invention randomly generates two S-boxes based on the SAC criterion and performs SAC tests on them according to formula (8). Using 0.5 as the ideal mean, the difference between the results is calculated. This process is repeated to obtain the relationship between the number of test rounds and the SAC difference, as shown below. Figure 10 As shown, changes in confidential information discovered through images have little impact on the SAC criterion test results, meaning the difference from the standard value is close to 0.

[0115] The formula for the SAC test is:

[0116]

[0117] Here, the f function represents the number of changes, the length function retrieves the length, and the bin function retrieves the binary representation.

[0118] Through comparative analysis, it can be seen that the QR code image encryption technology and steganography technology of this invention perform well in both SSIM and PSNR analysis, that is, the possibility of the steganographic image being distinguishable by the naked eye is low. It also performs well in LSB steganography security, proving that the steganographic content cannot be easily extracted through LSB experience. In the detection of S-box using the rigorous avalanche test, it was found that the encryption effect of S-box is good, that is, subtle changes will lead to the differentiation of S-box.

[0119] Example 2

[0120] This embodiment discloses an image steganography system that combines QR codes with S-box chaotic scrambling;

[0121] An image steganography system combining QR codes and S-box chaotic scrambling includes a preprocessing module, a scrambling and chaotic mapping module, and a steganography module.

[0122] The preprocessing module is configured to preprocess the hidden confidential information and convert the format to obtain a QR code.

[0123] The scrambling and chaotic mapping module is configured to: perform chaotic mapping on the color image to be embedded to obtain an S-box, and use the S-box to scramble and encrypt the QR code to obtain the encrypted QR code;

[0124] The steganography module is configured to hide the encrypted QR code within a color image, resulting in a steganographic image containing encrypted information.

[0125] Example 3

[0126] The purpose of this embodiment is to provide a computer-readable storage medium.

[0127] A computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements the steps of an image steganography method combining QR codes and S-box chaotic scrambling as described in Embodiment 1 of this disclosure.

[0128] Example 4

[0129] The purpose of this embodiment is to provide an electronic device.

[0130] An electronic device includes a memory, a processor, and a program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the program, it implements the steps in an image steganography method combining QR codes and S-box chaotic scrambling as described in Embodiment 1 of this disclosure.

[0131] Those skilled in the art will understand that embodiments of this disclosure can be provided as methods, systems, or computer program products. Therefore, this disclosure can take the form of hardware embodiments, software embodiments, or embodiments combining software and hardware aspects. Furthermore, this disclosure can take the form of a computer program product embodied on one or more computer-usable storage media (including, but not limited to, disk storage and optical storage) containing computer-usable program code.

[0132] This disclosure is described with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of this disclosure. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a processor of a general-purpose computer, special-purpose computer, embedded processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable data processing apparatus, create a machine for implementing the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams. Figure 1 a process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A device that provides the functions specified in one or more boxes.

[0133] These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing device to work in a specific manner, so that the instructions stored in the computer readable memory produce an article of manufacture comprising an instruction device, which implements the process Figure 1 a process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 The function specified in one or more boxes.

[0134] These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing device so that a series of operational steps are executed on the computer or other programmable device to produce a computer-implemented process, thereby providing the instructions executed on the computer or other programmable device for implementing the process. Figure 1 a process or multiple processes and / or boxes Figure 1 A step that specifies a function in one or more boxes.

[0135] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that all or part of the processes in the above-described method embodiments can be implemented by instructing related hardware through a computer program. The program can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and when executed, the program can include the processes in the above-described method embodiments. The storage medium can be a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a read-only memory (ROM), or a random access memory (RAM).

[0136] The foregoing description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present disclosure and is not intended to limit the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various modifications and variations are possible. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the spirit and principles of the present disclosure shall be included within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An image steganography method combining QR codes and S-box chaotic scrambling, characterized in that, include: The hidden confidential information is preprocessed and converted to obtain a QR code; An S-box is obtained by performing a chaotic mapping on the color image to be embedded. The S-box is obtained by performing a Logistic chaotic mapping on the key x under the chaotic mapping coefficient μ. The QR code is scrambled and encrypted using the S-box and a chaotic mapping to obtain the encrypted QR code. The scrambling is a two-round scrambling of the QR code. The first round is S-box scrambling and the second round is iterative segmentation scrambling. The encrypted QR code is hidden in a color image to obtain a steganographic image with encrypted information. Specifically, the color image is first divided into red, green and blue image components and then divided into blocks. The corresponding blocks are selected for steganography. The QR code is converted into a vector. The sequence number is taken as remainder with 3. Units with the same remainder are embedded into the same image component to obtain a steganographic image with encrypted information.

2. The image steganography method combining QR codes and S-box chaotic scrambling as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The preprocessing involves using base64 encoding to process the confidential information to be hidden, and then using a QR code generator to convert the confidential information to be hidden into a QR code.

3. The image steganography method combining QR codes and S-box chaotic scrambling as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Before performing chaotic mapping on the embedded color image to obtain the S-box, the embedded color image needs to be encrypted using SHA-256. The resulting sequence value is then converted into a 256-bit binary value, and the average value is used as the chaotic encryption key x.

4. The image steganography method combining QR codes and S-box chaotic scrambling as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes reading the content of the steganographic image by using the color image to be embedded and the chaotic mapping coefficient μ, thereby completing the reading of confidential information.

5. An image steganography system combining QR codes and S-box chaotic scrambling, characterized in that: It includes a preprocessing module, a scrambling and chaos mapping module, and a steganography module; The preprocessing module is configured to preprocess the hidden confidential information and convert the format to obtain a QR code. The scrambling and chaotic mapping module is configured to: perform chaotic mapping on the color image to be embedded to obtain an S-box, wherein the S-box is obtained by performing Logistic chaotic mapping on the key x under the chaotic mapping coefficient μ; use the S-box to scramble and encrypt the QR code to obtain the encrypted QR code; the scrambling is to perform two rounds of scrambling on the QR code, the first round being S-box scrambling and the second round being iterative segmentation scrambling; The steganography module is configured to: hide the encrypted QR code in a color image to obtain a steganographic image with encrypted information; specifically: first, the color image is divided into red, green and blue image components and blocks are formed, the corresponding blocks are selected for steganography, the QR code is converted into a vector, the sequence number is taken as remainder with 3, and units with the same remainder are embedded in the same image component to obtain a steganographic image with encrypted information.

6. A computer-readable storage medium having a program stored thereon, characterized in that, When executed by the processor, the program implements the steps of the image steganography method combining QR codes and S-box chaotic scrambling as described in any one of claims 1-4.

7. An electronic device, comprising a memory, a processor, and a program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, characterized in that, When the processor executes the program, it implements the steps in the image steganography method combining QR codes and S-box chaotic scrambling as described in any one of claims 1-4.

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