Intro

<p>Steganography is the practice of concealing a file, message, image, or video within another file, message, image, or video. The word steganography comes from Greek steganographia, which combines the words steganós, meaning "covered or concealed", and -graphia meaning "writing".</p> <ul> <li><p>This program takes a cover image and allows the user to store text OR an image inside of another image by manipulating the bits of each pixel.</p></li> <li><p>User can choose to modify 1/2/3/4 LSB (least significant bit(s)) during text embedding and extraction.</p> </li> <li><p>1LSB means less potential storage but less noise (1/255) - 4LSB means more 4x more potential storage than 1LSB but 4x the noise (16/255)</p></li> <li><p>Image embed is currently set to 1/2/3 LSB - the extraction can only be performed on 1lsb. I'm working on this but it results in the following requirement: the input image must be 8x smaller than the cover image.</p></li> <li><p>I made a YouTube <a href="https://youtu.be/Bgl_wmb9dU0">demonstration</a> for this program but it is slightly outdated now, it's still the same concept though!</p></li> </ul>

Activity

<p>Extract the text (1LSB) from this image and decrypt using symetric alongside this key: '23561287':)</p>

Installation

<h4>Releases:</h4> <p>Click 'releases' on the right-hand side of this repo and you can download the .exe file, this may not be the latest version of the project.</p> <ul><li>Note: my own browser (Microsoft edge) flags this as a potential danger - I assure you it's not but feel free to scan it for yourself. I have reported this issue to Microsoft. :) </li></ul> <p>Alternatively...</p> <h4>Zip file:</h4> <ol> <li>Click 'Code' in the top-right.</li> <li>select 'Download Zip'.</li> <li>This method will require you to compile it using Visual studio.</li> </ol>

Tutorial

<h4>How do I embed text?</h4> <img src="assets/textEmbedTutorial.jpg" width="500"></img> <h4>How do I extract my embedded text?</h4> <img src="assets/textExtractTutorial.jpg" width="500"></img> <p> if you managed it from these photos - you're probably quite good with computers!:)

Speed

<p>of course, the speeds will vary depending on your machine but here's how it runs on my PC.</h2> <p>(embedding 10,000 characters into a 400x400.jpg)</p> <table> <tbody> <tr style="height: 23px;"> <td style="height: 23px;"> </td> <td style="height: 23px;">1LSB</td> <td style="height: 23px;">2LSB</td> <td style="height: 23px;">3LSB</td> <td style="height: 23px;">4LSB</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 23px;"> <td style="height: 23px;">Test 1</td> <td style="height: 23px;"> 5.064s</td> <td style="height: 23px;"> 2.638s</td> <td style="height: 23px;"> 1.823s</td> <td style="height: 23px;"> 0.082s</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 23px;"> <td style="height: 23px;"> Test 2</td> <td style="height: 23px;"> 4.968s </td> <td style="height: 23px;"> 2.676s</td> <td style="height: 23px;"> 1.814s </td> <td style="height: 23px;"> 0.079s</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 23px;"> <td style="height: 23px;"> Test 3 </td> <td style="height: 23px;"> 4.947s </td> <td style="height: 23px;"> 2.679s </td> <td style="height: 23px;"> 1.830s</td> <td style="height: 23px;"> 0.078s</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 23px;"> <td style="height: 23px;"> Test 4</td> <td style="height: 23px;"> 5.098s </td> <td style="height: 23px;"> 2.613s</td> <td style="height: 23px;"> 1.812s</td> <td style="height: 23px;"> 0.080s</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 23px;"> <td style="height: 23px;"> Test 5</td> <td style="height: 23px;"> 5.151s </td> <td style="height: 23px;"> 2.765s</td> <td style="height: 23px;"> 1.853s </td> <td style="height: 23px;"> 0.079s</td> </tr> <tr style="height: 23px;"> <td style="height: 23px;"> Avg. timing </td> <td style="height: 23px;"> 5.045s </td> <td style="height: 23px;"> 2.674</td> <td style="height: 23px;"> 1.826</td> <td style="height: 23px;"> 0.076</td> </tr> </tbody> </table>

Instructions

<p>Instructions can also be found in the program on the about form.</p> <h4>Embedding</h4> <p><i>NOTE: Symetric encryption ONLY works for 1 and 4 LSB.</i></p> <ol> <li>Open your cover image using the "file" section.</li> <li>Add the text you would like to embed using the "text to embed" box.</li> <li>Do you want to encrypt the text? if so type in a key and click encrypt.</li> <li>You must select the amount of LSB you would like to use for the embedding process.</li> <li>Click 'Embed'.</li> <li>Click save in the 'stego image' section and select location and name of new stego image.</li> </ol> <hr> <h4>Extracting</h4> <p><i> NOTE: You will notice, if you saved your stego image in the current session, that the 'stego route' box is already filled with your new images directory location.</i></p> <ol> <li>Use the open button under the stego route to select the image you would like to extract a message from.</li> <li>Select the apropriate amount of LSB which you used to embed the message.</li> <li>Click "Extract".</li> <li>IF you encrypted the string, make sure the key is entered and correct encryption method is selected, click decrypt.</li> </ol> <hr> <h4>Image embedding</h4> <i> NOTE: This feature uses 1LSB steganography and therefore your input image must be 8x smaller than your cover image.</i> <i> UPDATE: the embedding feature now works with 1/2/3/4LSB but the extraction is not yet completed, I will remove these notes once completed, it's slightly more tricky then the embed.</i> <ol> <li>Select your cover image.</li> <li>Select the image you would like to embed.</li> <li>Click "Embed".</li> <li>Save your new stego image using the dialog available.</li> </ol> <hr> <h4>Image extracting</h4> <i>Note: As mentioned above, only works for 1LSB at the minute.</i> <ol> <li>Select target file (stego image).</li> <li>Click "Extract".</li> <li>Save your extracted image.</li> </ol> <hr> <h4>Comparison tool</h4> <ol> <li> Step 1: Load your first image using the dialog.</li> <li>Step 2: Load your second image using the dialog.</li> <li>Step 3: Click "compare".</li> </ol>

SteganograhyProject

Install / Use

README