Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

XOR-based visual secret sharing scheme using pixel vectorization

  • Published:
Multimedia Tools and Applications Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The XOR operation has improved the recovery effect of the visual secret sharing schemes. Various visual secret sharing schemes based on XOR operation are available in the literature with some limitations, e.g. direct non-applicability of the scheme to the gray-scale images and reduced quality of the reconstructed secret image. Many existing visual secret sharing schemes in the literature, firstly converts grayscale secret image into a halftone image then creates the shares. This paper proposes XOR-based (n,n) − V CSXOR visual secret sharing scheme using pixel vectorization. It diffuses and disguise secret information into multiple meaningless shares prior to allocating participants of the group having no clue about the secret information. The scheme also resolves various problems like pixel expansion, contrast-loss, explicit codebook requirement, limitation on number of participants and lossy recovery of the secret image. The proposed scheme makes use of implicit codebook and pixel vectorization to encode gray secret image directly without converting to halftone image, into multiple random looking shares. Also applicable to binary image. Reveal a secret image perfectly by XOR-ing all share. The efficacy of the proposed scheme is verified by numerical illustrations, experimental results and comparative analysis. We found that proposed scheme outperform in comparison to the state-of-the-art approaches.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Blundo C, De Bonis A, De Santis A (2001) Improved schemes for visual cryptography. Designs Codes Crypto 24:255–278

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  2. Blundo C, D’Arco P, De Santis A, Stinson DR (2003) Contrast optimal threshold visual cryptography schemes. SIAM J Discret Math 16:224–261

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  3. Chao HC, Fan TY (2017) XOR-Based progressive visual secret sharing using generalized random grids. Displays 49:6–15

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Chattopadhyay AK, Nag A, Singh JP, Singh AK (2020) A verifiable multi-secret image sharing scheme using XOR operation and hash function. Multimedia Tools Appl 1–30

  5. Chen TH, Li KC (2012) Multi-image encryption by circular random grids. Inf Sci 189:255–265

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  6. Chen TH, Tsao KH (2011) Threshold visual secret sharing by random grids. J Sys Softw 84:1197–1208

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Chen TH, Tsao KH (2011) User-friendly random-grid-based visual secret sharing. IEEE Trans Circ Sys Video Technol 21:1693–1703

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Chen TH, Tsao KH, Lee YS (2012) Yet another multiple-image encryption by rotating random grids. Signal Process 92:2229–2237

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Chen YC, Horng G, Tsai DS (2012) Comment on “cheating prevention in visual cryptography” IEEE Trans Image Process 21:3319–3323

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  10. Chen YC, Tsai DS, Horng G (2013) Visual secret sharing with cheating prevention revisited. Digit Sig Process 23:1496–1504

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  11. Cimato S, De Prisco R, De Santis (2005) Probabilistic visual cryptography schemes. Comput J 49:97–107

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  12. Deshmukh M, Nain N, Ahmed M (2018) Efficient and secure multi secret sharing schemes based on boolean XOR and arithmetic modulo. Multimedia Tools Appl 77:89–107

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Fu Z, Cheng Y, Yu B (2019) Perfect recovery of XOR-based visual cryptography scheme. Multimedia Tools Appl 78:2367–2384

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Guo T, Liu F, Wu C (2014) K out of k extended visual cryptography scheme by random grids. Signal Process 94:90–101

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Hofmeister T, Krause M, Simon HU (2000) Contrast-optimal k out of n secret sharing schemes in visual cryptography. Theor Comput Sci 240:471–485

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  16. Hu CM, Tzeng WG (2006) Cheating prevention in visual cryptography. IEEE Trans Image Process 16:36–45

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  17. Jia X, Wang D, Chu Q, Chen Z (2019) An efficient XOR-based verifiable visual cryptographic scheme. Multimedia Tools Appl 78:8207–8223

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Kafri O, Keren E (1987) Encryption of pictures and shapes by random grids. Opt Lett 12:377–379

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Koga H, Ueda E (2006) Basic properties of the (t, n)-threshold visual secret sharing scheme with perfect reconstruction of black pixels. Designs Codes Crypto 40:81–102

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  20. Lee YS, Chen TH (2012) Insight into collusion attacks in random-grid-based visual secret sharing. Signal Process 92:727–736

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Lian C, Pang L, Liang J (2014) Generalized random grid-based visual secret sharing for general access structures. Comput J 58:2426–2442

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Lin CC, Tsai WH (2004) Secret image sharing with steganography and authentication. J Sys Softw 73:405–414

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Lin CH, Chen TH, Wu YT, Tsao KH, Lin KS (2014) Multi-factor cheating prevention in visual secret sharing by hybrid codebooks. J Vis Commun Image Represent 25:1543–1557

    Article  Google Scholar 

  24. Lin CH, Lee YS, Chen TH (2015) Friendly progressive random-grid-based visual secret sharing with adaptive contrast. J Vis Commun Image Represent 33:31–41

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Lin SJ, Chung WH (2011) A probabilistic model of (t,n) visual cryptography scheme with dynamic group. IEEE Trans Inf Foren Sec 7:197–207

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Liu F, Wu C (2014) Optimal XOR based (2, n)-visual cryptography schemes. In: International workshop on digital watermarking, pp 333–349

  27. Liu F, Wu CK, Lin XJ (2009) The alignment problem of visual cryptography schemes. Designs Codes Crypto 50:215–227

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  28. Naor M, Shamir A (1994) Visual cryptography. In: Workshop on the theory and application of of cryptographic techniques, pp 1–12

  29. Ou D, Sun W, Wu X (2015) Non-expansible XOR-based visual cryptography scheme with meaningful shares. Signal Process 108:604–621

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Pang L, Miao D, Lian C (2016) User-friendly random-grid-based visual secret sharing for general access structures, vol 9, pp 966–976

  31. Praveen K, Sethumadhavan M (2018) Cheating immune visual cryptographic scheme with reduced pixel expansion. In: Progress in advanced computing and intelligent engineering, pp 257–265

  32. Salehi S, Balafar MA (2014) Visual multi secret sharing by cylindrical random grid. J Inf Sec Appl 19:245–255

    Google Scholar 

  33. Shyu SJ (2009) Image encryption by multiple random grids. Patt Recogn 42:1582–1596

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  34. Singh N (2018) XOR Encryption techniques of video steganography: a comparative analysis. In: International conference on intelligent systems design and applications, pp 203–214

  35. Singh P, Raman B, Misra M (2018) A (n, n) threshold non-expansible XOR based visual cryptography with unique meaningful shares. Signal Process 142:301–319

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. Tan L, Lu Y, Yan X, Liu L, Zhou X (2020) XOR-Ed visual secret sharing scheme with robust and meaningful shadows based on QR codes. Multimedia Tools Appl 79:5719–5741

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Thien CC, Lin JC (2003) An image-sharing method with user-friendly shadow images. IEEE Trans Circ Sys Video Technol 13:1161–1169

    Article  Google Scholar 

  38. Tsai DS, Chen TH, Horng G (2007) A cheating prevention scheme for binary visual cryptography with homogeneous secret images. Patt Recogn 40:2356–2366

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  39. Tuyls P et al (2002) A polarisation based visual crypto system and its secret sharing schemes. https://eprint.iacr.org/2002/194

  40. Tuyls P et al (2005) XOR-Based visual cryptography schemes. Designs Codes Crypto 37:169–186

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  41. Wu X, Liu T, Sun W (2013) Improving the visual quality of random grid-based visual secret sharing via error diffusion. J Vis Commun Image Represent 24:552–566

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Wu X, Ou D, Dai L, Sun W (2013) XOR-Based meaningful visual secret sharing by generalized random grids. In: Proceedings of the first ACM workshop on information hiding and multimedia security, pp 181–190

  43. Wu X, Ou D, Liang Q, Sun W (2012) A user-friendly secret image sharing scheme with reversible steganography based on cellular automata. J Syst Softw 85:1852–1863

    Article  Google Scholar 

  44. Wu X, Sun W (2012) Random grid-based visual secret sharing for general access structures with cheat-preventing ability. J Sys Softw 85:1119–1134

    Article  Google Scholar 

  45. Wu X, Sun W (2013) Generalized random grid and its applications in visual cryptography. IEEE Trans Inf Foren Sec 8:1541–1553

    Article  Google Scholar 

  46. Wu X, Sun W (2013) Improving the visual quality of random grid-based visual secret sharing. Signal Process 93:977–995

    Article  Google Scholar 

  47. Wu X, Sun W (2013) Random grid-based visual secret sharing with abilities of OR and XOR decryptions. J Vis Commun Image Represent 24:48–62

    Article  Google Scholar 

  48. Wu X, Sun W (2014) Improved tagged visual cryptography by random grids. Signal Process 97:64–82

    Article  Google Scholar 

  49. Yan X, Wang S, El-Latif AAA, Niu X (2015) Random grids-based visual secret sharing with improved visual quality via error diffusion. Multimedia Tools Appl 74:9279–9296

    Article  Google Scholar 

  50. Yang CN, Chen TS, Yu KH, Wang CC (2007) Improvements of image sharing with steganography and authentication. J Sys Softw 80:1070–1076

    Article  Google Scholar 

  51. Zhou Z, Arce GR, Di Crescenzo G (2006) Halftone visual cryptography. IEEE Trans Image Process 15:2441–2453

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by University Grant Commission, India (RGNF award No : F1-17.1/2014-15/RGNF-2014-15-SC-UTT-87345/(SA-III/Website)) and University of Lucknow, Lucknow.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Computer Science, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, 226007, (U.P.), India

    Suresh Prasad Kannojia

  2. ICT Research Laboratory, Department of Computer Science, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, 226007, (U.P.), India

    Jasvant Kumar

Authors
  1. Suresh Prasad Kannojia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jasvant Kumar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jasvant Kumar.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kannojia, S.P., Kumar, J. XOR-based visual secret sharing scheme using pixel vectorization. Multimed Tools Appl 80, 14609–14635 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-020-10352-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-020-10352-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation