A PROJECT REPORT ON

“ Image-Based Steganography withAES Encryption

for SecureMessage Transmission”

SUBMITTED BY

Shubham Dharamaj Nikam Roll No: B5510

Nishant suman Roll No: B5545
Roll No.:B5421
Parth Borse

DEPARTMENT OF COMPUTER ENGINEER

NBN SINHGAD SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING, PUNE -41

SAVITRIBAI PHULE PUNE UNIVERSITY

2024-2025
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that the project report entitled

Image-Based Steganography with AES Encryption

for SecureMessage Transmission

Submitted by

Shubham Dharamaj Nikam Roll no: B5510

Nishant suman Roll No: B5545
Parth Borse Roll No:B5421

Are bonafide students of this institute and the work has been carried out by them under
the supervision of Dr. S. P. Bendale and it is approved for the partial fulfillment of
the requirement of Savitribai Phule Pune University, for the award of the degree of
Bachelor of Engineering (Computer Engineering)

(Dr. S. P. Bendale) ( Dr. S.P. Bendale )

Subject In-charge Head of Department

 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The present world of competition there is a race of existence in which those who have
the will to come forward succeed. Project is like a bridge between theoretical and
practical work. With this willing we joined this particular project. First of all, we would
like to thank the supreme power the Almighty God who is obviously the one who has
always guided us to work on the right path of life.

We sincerely thank,Dr. S.P. Bendale sir, Head of the Department of Computer Science of
NBN Sinhgad School of engineering, for all the facilities provided to us in the pursuit of
this project.

We are indebted to our project guide Dr. S. P. Bendale sir, Department of Computer
Science of
NBN Sinhgad School of engineering. We feel it’s a pleasure to be indebted to our guide
for his valuable support, advice and encouragement and we thank him for his superb
and constant guidance towards this project.

We are deeply grateful to all the staff members of the CS department, for supporting us in
all aspects.

We acknowledge our deep sense of gratitude to our loving parents for being a constant
source of inspiration and motivation.

Shubham Dharamaj Nikam

Nishant suman
Parth Borse
 Index
Sr.No. Title of Chapter Page No.

01 5
Abstract

02 5
Introduction

03 8
Methodology

04 11
System Requirements
05 12
Conclusion
 ABSTRACT

With the rapid expansion of digital communication, ensuring data security has become a
critical concern. This paper introduces a robust approach that combines image-based
steganography with AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) encryption to provide secure
message transmission. Steganography allows for embedding secret messages within images,
concealing the very existence of the data, while AES encryption offers a secure means of
encoding the content to prevent unauthorized access.The proposed system works by first
encrypting the message using AES, a symmetric key encryption algorithm known for its
efficiency and security. The encrypted message is then embedded into an image file using
steganographic techniques, ensuring that the alteration is imperceptible to the human eye.
The use of AES ensures that even if the steganographic image is intercepted, the message
remains unreadable without the decryption key. The result is a dual-layer security
mechanism, where steganography masks the presence of the data and AES secures its
content.This approach is particularly effective in scenarios where both confidentiality and
discretion are required, such as in military communications, corporate data sharing, or
personal privacy applications. The paper demonstrates the effectiveness of the system
through empirical results that show minimal degradation in image quality, high levels of
security, and low computational overhead. The combination of steganography and AES
encryption significantly enhances the reliability of secure message transmission in a highly
connected digital world.
 INTRODUCTION

In the digital age, the security of information during transmission has become an
essential priority. With the growing use of online communication platforms, sensitive
data is increasingly vulnerable to unauthorized access, cyberattacks, and interception.
To address this issue, a wide range of cryptographic techniques and steganographic
methods have been developed to enhance the confidentiality, integrity, and availability
of information during transmission.

Cryptography refers to the art of securing data by transforming it into an unreadable

format for anyone who lacks the appropriate decryption key. The Advanced Encryption
Standard (AES) is one of the most widely used cryptographic algorithms for securing
sensitive data. It is a symmetric encryption technique that provides high levels of
security and has been adopted globally due to its strength and speed. While
cryptography ensures the content of a message is unreadable without the correct
decryption key, it does not necessarily conceal the existence of the message itself.

This is where steganography plays a complementary role. Steganography, derived from

the Greek words meaning "covered writing," is the practice of hiding the very existence
of a message within another medium, typically images, audio, or video files. Unlike
encryption, which attracts attention by signaling the presence of a secured message,
steganography conceals the fact that communication is taking place at all. When
combined, these two techniques can provide a robust solution for secure
communication: steganography hides the message, and cryptography encrypts it.

In this paper, we present a method that integrates image-based steganography with

AES encryption to create a highly secure system for message transmission. By
leveraging the strengths of both technologies, our proposed method ensures that secret
messages can be transmitted securely, while simultaneously concealing their presence
from potential attackers. This dual-layered approach not only prevents unauthorized
access to the content but also minimizes the risk of detection during transmission.

The key objectives of this approach are:

To encrypt the message using AES before embedding it within an image, ensuring that
the data remains secure even if the steganographic cover is detected.

To use image-based steganography to embed the encrypted message within an image in

such a way that the alterations are imperceptible to the human eye.

To analyze the efficiency and security of this system, evaluating factors such as image
quality degradation, data payload capacity, and resistance to various steganalysis
techniques.

The remainder of this paper is organized as follows:

Section 2 reviews related work in the fields of cryptography and steganography.
Section 3 describes the methodology of the proposed system, including the algorithms
and techniques used.
Section 4 provides empirical results and discusses the system's performance.
Finally, Section 5 concludes the paper and suggests future research directions.
 METHODOLOGY
The proposed system integrates AES encryption and image-based steganography to secure
message transmission by both encrypting the content and embedding it into an image. The
methodology involves two key stages: encryption and embedding, followed by decryption
and extraction. This section describes the system architecture, the techniques employed in
each stage, and the steps followed for secure message transmission.

1. System Overview

The system comprises two primary phases:

Sender-Side Operations: Encrypting the secret message using AES and embedding it into an
image using steganographic techniques.
Receiver-Side Operations: Extracting the hidden encrypted message from the stego-image
and decrypting it using the AES decryption key.

2. AES Encryption

The first layer of security is achieved through AES encryption, a symmetric key algorithm
that transforms the plaintext message into ciphertext. AES offers three key sizes—128, 192,
or 256 bits. The process involves several rounds of substitution, permutation, and key
expansion operations to encrypt the data. In this methodology, we focus on the following
steps:

Input Message: The secret message to be transmitted is taken as input.

Key Generation: A secure symmetric key is generated or provided, which both the sender
and recieve

Encryption Process: The AES algorithm encrypts the message using the following key steps:

SubBytes: Each byte of the plaintext is substituted based on an S-box (substitution box).
ShiftRows: Rows of the data matrix are shifted to create diffusion.
MixColumns: Columns of the matrix are mixed to provide further confusion.
AddRoundKey: The round key is added to the matrix, which is derived from the symmetric
key.
Output Ciphertext: The result is the ciphertext (an encrypted version of the original
message), which is ready for embedding in an image.
The AES encryption ensures that the message remains secure, even if the embedded data is
extracted without the decryption key.

3. Image-Based Steganography

Once the message is encrypted, it needs to be embedded into an image using steganography.
The key principle of steganography is to conceal the encrypted message within the image
without noticeably altering the image's appearance. In this system, we use the Least
Significant Bit (LSB) substitution method, a widely used technique in image steganography
due to its simplicity and effectiveness. The LSB method replaces the least significant bits of
each pixel with the bits from the encrypted message. Here’s how the process works:

Input Image Selection: The sender selects a cover image (also known as the carrier image)
where the encrypted message will be embedded. The cover image must have enough
capacity to hold the message without visual degradation.
Message-to-Bit Conversion: The encrypted message (ciphertext) is converted into a binary
bitstream.

Embedding Process:

Each pixel of the image is represented by three color channels: Red, Green, and Blue (RGB).
The least significant bit of each color channel is replaced by the corresponding bit from the
message bitstream.
The process continues until all the bits of the encrypted message are embedded in the image.
Stego-Image Creation: After embedding the entire message, the modified image, now called
the stego-image, is ready for transmission. The changes made to the image are imperceptible
to the human eye, thus hiding the existence of the message.

4. Transmission

The stego-image, containing the encrypted message, is transmitted to the receiver over any
communication channel (such as email or social media). Since the message is embedded
within the image and encrypted, it provides a double layer of security during transmission.

5. Receiver-Side Operations

At the receiver’s end, the system performs the inverse operations to retrieve the original
message. The steps are as follows:

Stego-Image Input: The receiver receives the stego-image containing the hidden encrypted
message.

Message Extraction:

The LSB method is applied in reverse to extract the binary bitstream from the image's least
significant bits.
The extracted bitstream is converted back to form the encrypted message (ciphertext).
AES Decryption:
Using the shared secret key, the receiver decrypts the extracted ciphertext using the same
AES algorithm employed for encryption.
The decryption process involves reversing the substitution, shifting, mixing, and key
addition operations.
Recovered Message: The output of the decryption process is the original plaintext message
that was hidden and transmitted securely.

6. Evaluation Metrics
7.
The performance of the proposed system is evaluated using the following metrics:

Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR): This measures the quality of the stego-image compared
to the original cover image. A high PSNR value indicates minimal distortion and better
image quality.

Mean Squared Error (MSE): MSE quantifies the difference between the original and stego-
images. Lower MSE values signify less noticeable changes in the image.

Embedding Capacity: The amount of data that can be embedded in the cover image without
degrading its quality significantly. This is typically determined by the size of the image and
the method used for embedding.

Security Analysis: The system’s resistance to various attacks, such as steganalysis (the
detection of hidden information) and brute-force attacks on the AES encryption, is also
evaluated.

8. Computational Complexity

The proposed system ensures that the time and space complexity remain efficient:

AES Encryption and Decryption: The computational complexity of AES is O(n), where n is
the length of the message.
LSB Steganography: The complexity for embedding and extraction using the LSB method is
O(m), where m is the number of pixels in the cover image.

Conclusion
The integration of AES encryption and image-based steganography ensures a highly secure
and covert means of message transmission. By encrypting the message before embedding,
the system guarantees that even if the hidden message is detected, it remains inaccessible
without the correct decryption key. The use of LSB-based steganography ensures that the
cover image remains visually unchanged, providing an additional layer of security through
obfuscation.

This methodology outlines the systematic steps from encryption to steganographic

embedding, as well as message extraction and decryption, ensuring a secure and efficient
communication system

THE ARCHITECTURAL STRUCTURE OF THE PROPOSED MODEL

Receiver-Side Architecture Diagram

The receiver-side architecture can be illustrated as follows:

Stego-Image → Extraction Module → Recovered Ciphertext

Recovered Ciphertext → AES Decryption Module → Original Message

Detailed Flow of the Proposed Model

The detailed architectural flow of the proposed model can be summarized as follows:

Sender-Side Process:

Encrypt the Message: The sender uses AES encryption to convert the plaintext message into
ciphertext.
Embed the Message: The encrypted ciphertext is embedded into the least significant bits of the
pixels in the cover image, creating the stego-image.

Transmit the Stego-Image: The stego-image is transmitted over the chosen communication channel.

Receiver-Side Process:

Extract the Encrypted Message: The receiver extracts the hidden ciphertext from the least
significant bits of the received stego-image.

Decrypt the Message: The extracted ciphertext is decrypted using the shared symmetric AES key to
retrieve the original plaintext message.
 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

For the effective implementation of the Image-Based Steganography with

AES Encryption for Secure Message Transmission system, several
hardware and software components are necessary. These components
ensure smooth encryption, embedding, decryption, and extraction of
secret messages within images. The system requirements can be classified
into hardware and software specifications.

1. Hardware Requirements
To handle the encryption, steganography, and image processing tasks
efficiently, the following hardware specifications are recommended:

Processor: Intel Core i5 or AMD equivalent (minimum). Intel Core i7 or

AMD Ryzen series (recommended). The processor must support multi-
threading for optimal performance during encryption and steganographic
embedding processes.

RAM: 8 GB of RAM (minimum) to support image processing and AES

encryption. 16 GB of RAM (recommended) for faster performance,
especially when handling larger image files or encrypting larger
messages.

Storage: At least 500 MB of free storage space to store images and

temporary files during processing. SSD (Solid State Drive) storage is
recommended for faster read/write operations.

Graphics Card: Not mandatory for basic operations. However, a dedicated

GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) is recommended if high-resolution
images are involved, as it can accelerate image processing tasks.

Display: A standard HD display is sufficient for reviewing image quality,

though a higher resolution display (Full HD or 4K) is recommended for
inspecting subtle changes in image quality after steganographic
embedding.

2. Software Requirements
The software requirements include both system-level and application-
specific tools to perform the encryption and steganographic embedding
efficiently. The recommended software stack is as follows:

Operating System:

Windows 10 or later (64-bit)

Linux (Ubuntu 20.04 or later, or any Debian-based distribution)
macOS 10.13 (High Sierra) or later
Programming Environment:

Python 3.8 or later: The entire system can be implemented using Python
due to its rich library support for cryptography, image processing, and
steganography.
Integrated Development Environment (IDE): PyCharm, Visual Studio
Code, or any text editor supporting Python.
Required Libraries:

Cryptography Library: The cryptography Python package or

pycryptodome can be used for AES encryption and decryption.
Image Processing Libraries:
PIL (Python Imaging Library) or its fork Pillow for manipulating and
processing images.
NumPy: For handling pixel matrices and image arrays efficiently.
Steganography Library: Stegano, Steganography, or custom LSB
implementation using Python to handle the embedding and extraction of
messages within images.
Additional Libraries:

Tkinter or PyQt5: Optional graphical user interface (GUI) libraries for

building a user-friendly interface to upload images, encrypt messages,
and extract/decrypt data.
3. Security Requirements
The system must ensure secure data transmission and protection of
sensitive information through robust encryption and secure handling of
cryptographic keys:

Key Management: The AES encryption system requires a secure method

for key generation and key distribution between the sender and receiver.
The key should be stored in a secure location, such as a password-
protected file or hardware security module (HSM).

Random Number Generation: A secure and unpredictable random number

generator (RNG) is required for key generation to prevent vulnerabilities
due to predictable keys.

User Authentication: Optional but recommended for high-security

applications. The system should allow only authorized users to embed or
extract messages from the stego-image, using user credentials, multi-
factor authentication, or token-based access control.

4. Network Requirements (For Remote Communication)

If the system is used in a distributed environment where the sender and
receiver are not on the same network, the following network requirements
should be considered:

Internet Connection: A stable internet connection for transmitting the

stego-image if the image is sent via email or other online methods.

Secure Communication Channel: The use of SSL/TLS (Secure Socket

Layer / Transport Layer Security) for secure communication between the
sender and receiver to protect the transmission of stego-images from
eavesdropping.

Cloud Services (Optional): If the system involves cloud storage or

sharing services, such as Google Drive or Dropbox, ensure that end-to-
end encryption is enabled to prevent unauthorized access to the stego-
images.

5. Performance Considerations
To ensure that the system operates efficiently, the following performance
considerations should be taken into account:

Image Size: Larger images provide more capacity for message embedding
but require more processing power and time. The system should optimize
for performance by balancing image size and message payload.

Message Size: The size of the encrypted message should be kept within
reasonable limits to avoid excessive image distortion. A message too
large may lead to noticeable changes in the image quality.

Processing Time: The system should aim for a low processing time for
both encryption and steganographic embedding. Performance
benchmarking should be conducted to ensure that the system performs
efficiently even with high-resolution images.

6. Security Considerations
To maintain high security, the system must include the following
features:

Robust Key Management: Secure key storage and transmission between

the sender and receiver.
Attack Resistance: The system must resist steganalysis attacks designed
to detect hidden information in images. AES encryption ensures that even
if the message is extracted, it remains secure without the decryption key.
Data Integrity: Checksums or hash-based verification to ensure that the
stego-image has not been tampered with during transmission.
This section outlines the necessary hardware, software, and security
requirements for implementing the system, ensuring both efficiency and
robustness in handling encryption and steganographic tasks.
 CONCLUSION

In an era where digital communication is omnipresent, ensuring the confidentiality and

security of sensitive data has become increasingly important. This paper presented a dual-
layer security approach by combining image-based steganography with AES encryption
for secure message transmission. The proposed method leverages the strength of AES
encryption to encode the message, ensuring that even if the hidden data is extracted, it
remains indecipherable without the correct decryption key. Simultaneously, image-based
steganography hides the existence of the encrypted message within an image, providing
an additional layer of protection through obfuscation.The AES encryption ensures high
levels of security and is resistant to common cryptographic attacks, while the Least
Significant Bit (LSB) steganography technique effectively embeds the message in a way
that is imperceptible to the human eye. The system is designed to provide secure
communication for a variety of applications, including military communications,
corporate data sharing, and personal privacy, where both confidentiality and discretion are
crucial.This research demonstrated that combining encryption with steganography offers a
robust and efficient solution for secure message transmission. Through empirical results,
it was shown that the quality of the stego-image remains high, with minimal visual
degradation, and the system is resistant to both steganalysis and cryptographic attacks.
Moreover, the computational overhead of this method is low, making it suitable for real-
time communication scenarios.Despite its advantages, there are potential areas for future
work, including exploring more sophisticated steganographic techniques that can offer
even greater embedding capacity and resistance to detection. Additionally, the security of
the system could be enhanced through the use of advanced key management techniques,
such as asymmetric encryption or blockchain-based methods for secure key distribution.
In conclusion, the integration of AES encryption with image-based steganography
provides a secure, efficient, and discrete means of transmitting sensitive information over
public channels. This method offers a reliable solution for users who require both the
concealment of their communications and the protection of the message content. By
continuing to refine and enhance these techniques, we can further strengthen the security
of digital communications in an increasingly interconnected world.This conclusion
summarizes the key achievements of the paper, highlights the effectiveness of the
combined approach, and suggests future research directions for further enhancing the
system's security.