Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A novel perfect contrast XOR-based visual cryptography scheme for multiple secrets

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

Abstract

Visual cryptography scheme (VCS) is a kind of secret sharing scheme that only relies on human visual system (HVS) without complicated calculation. In this paper, a novel visual cryptography scheme for multiple secrets is proposed which hides n − 1 (n is odd) secret images by n shares and can fully recover secret images by XOR. In this scheme, each share is divided into n regions and then basic matrices are designed for different regions. The basic matrix of each region is determined by one or two specific secret images. When any m (m is even) shares are acquired, m secret images can be obtained by XOR. In this way, when interceptors do not obtain n − 1 shares, they will mistakenly think that they have obtained all the secret images and reduce the suspicion to give up further interception. Only when the receiver obtains any n − 1 shares for XOR operation, it can get n − 1 complete recovered secret images. The final regions of the secret images will be different with different selected sharing group. The experiment proves that when n takes an odd value, no secret image can be obtained from any odd shares and this scheme has good security. In addition, this paper also analyzes the case that n is even, and gives the suitable solution. The new solution proves the flexibility and scalability of the scheme.

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

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Blakley GR (1979) Safeguarding cryptographic keys. In: International workshop on managing requirements knowledge, IEEE Computer Society, pp 313–317

  2. Cimato S, De Prisco R, De Santis A (2006) Probabilistic visual cryptography schemes. The Computer Journal 49(1):97–107

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  3. Fu Z, Cheng Y, Yu B (2019) Extended visual cryptography scheme. Multimed Tools Appl 78(2):2367–2384

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Hou Y-C, Wei S-C, Lin C-Y (2014) Random-grid-based visual cryptography schemes. IEEE Trans Circuits Syst Video Technol 24:733–744

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Krishnan S, Dr L (2011) Color image cryptography scheme based on visual cryptography. In: 2011 - international conference on signal processing, communication, computing and networking technologies, ICSCCN

  6. Li P, Ma J, Ma Q (2020) (t,k,n) XOR-based visual cryptography scheme with essential shadows. J Vis Commun Image Represent 72:102911

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Li P, Ma J, Yin L, Ma Q (2020) A construction method of (2, 3) visual cryptography scheme. IEEE Access 8(99):32840–32849

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Lin C-C, Tsai W-H (2003) Visual cryptography for gray-level images by dithering techniques. Pattern Recogn Lett 24(1):349–358

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  9. Liu L, Lu Y, Yan X (2021) A novel (k1,k2,n)-threshold two-in-one secret image sharing scheme for multiple secrets. J Vis Commun Image Represent 74:102971

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Naor M, Shamir A (1994) Visual cryptography. In: Workshop on the theory and application of cryptographic techniques

  11. Shamir A (1979) How to share a secret. Commun ACM 22:612–613

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  12. Shen G, Liu F, Fu Z, Yu B (2017) Perfect contrast XOR-based visual cryptography schemes via linear algebra, Designs. Codes and Cryptography 85:15–37

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  13. Shivani S, Agarwal S (2018) VPVC: Verifiable Progressive visual cryptography. Pattern Anal Applic 21(1):139–166

    Article  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  14. Socek D, Li S, Magliveras SS, Furht B (2005) Short paper: Enhanced 1-D chaotic key-based algorithm for image encryption. IEEE Computer Society, pp 406–407

  15. Sun R, Fu Z, Yu B, Huang H (2020) A novel color multi-secret visual cryptography scheme. In: AIPR 2020: 2020 3Rd international conference on artificial intelligence and pattern recognition

  16. Wang Z, Arce GR, Di Crescenzo G (2009) Halftone visual cryptography via error diffusion. IEEE Transactions on Information Forensics and Security 4(3):383–396

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  17. Wang L, Yan B, Yang H-M, Pan J-S (2020) Flip extended visual cryptography for gray-scale and color cover images. Symmetry 13:65

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Weir J, Yan W (2009) Sharing multiple secrets using visual cryptography. pp 509–512

  19. Weir J, Yan W (2010) A comprehensive study of visual cryptography. In: Transactions on data hiding and multimedia security V, Springer, pp 70–105

  20. Xiong L, Han X, Yang C-N (2021) CP-PSIS: CRT and polynomial-based progressive secret image sharing. Signal Process 185(11):108064

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Yan X, Wang S, El-Latif AA, Niu X (2015) Visual secret sharing based on random grids with abilities of AND and XOR lossless recovery. Multimed Tools Appl 74(9):3231–3252

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Yan X, Wang S, Niu X (2016) Threshold progressive visual cryptography construction with unexpanded shares. Multimed Tools Appl 75(14):8657–8674

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Yan B, Xiang Y, Hua G (2019) Improving the visual quality of size-invariant visual cryptography for grayscale images: An analysis-by-synthesis (Abs) approach. IEEE Trans Image Process 28(2):896–911

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  24. Yang C-N (2004) New visual secret sharing schemes using probabilistic method. Pattern Recogn Lett 25(4):481–494

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Yang C-N, Wang D-S (2014) Property analysis of XOR-based visual cryptography. IEEE Trans Circuits Syst Video Technol 24(2):189–197

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Yang C-N, Wu X, Wang D-S (2014) A discussion on the relationship between probabilistic visual cryptography and random grid. Inf Sci 278:141–173

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  27. Yang C-N, Yang Y-Y (2014) New extended visual cryptography schemes with clearer shadow images. Inf Sci 271:246–263

    Article  MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work is supported by MOE (Ministry of Education in China) Project of Humanities and Social Sciences (Project No. 18YJAZH110) and Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundations (No. ZR2014JL044, NO. ZR202102220198), China.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Computer Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266590, People’s Republic of China

    Shu-Mei Liu, Hong-Mei Yang, Jeng-Shyang Pan & Tao Liu

  2. College of Electronic and Information Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266590, People’s Republic of China

    Bin Yan

Authors
  1. Shu-Mei Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hong-Mei Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jeng-Shyang Pan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Tao Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Bin Yan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hong-Mei Yang.

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

Liu, SM., Yang, HM., Pan, JS. et al. A novel perfect contrast XOR-based visual cryptography scheme for multiple secrets. Multimed Tools Appl 81, 43125–43143 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-022-13187-2

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11042-022-13187-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation