Cryptanalysis and Improvement on an Image Encryption Algorithm Design Using a Novel Chaos Based S-Box

• Published in: Symmetry (Basel) Vol. 10; no. 9; p. 399
• Main Authors: Zhu, Congxu, Wang, Guojun, Sun, Kehui
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01-09-2018
• Subjects: Algorithms; chaos; cryptanalysis; Cryptography; Data encryption; Deduction; Encryption; image encryption; improved diffusion; Process parameters; S-box; Security; China
• ISSN: 2073-8994; 2073-8994
• DOI: 10.3390/sym10090399

This article performs the cryptanalysis of an image encryption algorithm using an S-box generated by chaos. The algorithm has the advantages of simple structure, high encryption efficiency, and good encryption performance. However, an attentive investigation reveals that it has some undiscovered security flaws. The image cryptosystem is totally breakable under proposed chosen-plaintext attack, and only two chosen plain-images are required. An array equivalent to the S-box is constructed by an elaborately designed chosen-plaintext image, and the cipher-image is deciphered without having to know the S-box itself. Both mathematical deduction and experimental results validate the feasibility of the attacking scheme. Furthermore, an improved encryption scheme is proposed, in which a feedback mechanism is introduced, a bidirectional diffusion scheme is designed, and values of the ciphertext are associated with more parameters in each diffusion process. Testing results and security analysis verify that the improved cryptographic system can achieve a higher security level and has a better performance than some of the latest encryption algorithms.