Yi Cao¹, Kuo Zhang¹, Chengsheng Yuan^2,*, Linglong Zhu¹, Wentao Ge²

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.86, No.2, pp. 1-24, 2026, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2025.070158 - 09 December 2025

Abstract Generative steganography uses generative stego images to transmit secret message. It also effectively defends against statistical steganalysis. However, most existing methods focus primarily on matching the feature distribution of training data, often neglecting the sequential continuity between moves in the game. This oversight can result in unnatural patterns that deviate from real user behavior, thereby reducing the security of the hidden communication. To address this issue, we design a Gomoku agent based on the AlphaZero algorithm. The model engages in self-play to generate a sequence of plausible moves. These moves form the basis of the… More >

Sara H. Elsayed¹, Rodaina Abdelsalam¹, Mahmoud A. Ismail Shoman², Raed Alotaibi^3,*, Omar Reyad^4,5,*

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.85, No.3, pp. 4995-5013, 2025, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2025.068429 - 23 October 2025

Abstract Ensuring the secure transmission of secret messages, particularly through video—one of the most widely used media formats—is a critical challenge in the field of information security. Relying on a single-layered security approach is often insufficient for safeguarding sensitive data. This study proposes a triple-lightweight cryptographic and steganographic model that integrates the Hill Cipher Technique (HCT), Rotation Left Digits (RLD), and Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT) to embed secret messages within video frames securely. The approach begins with encrypting the secret text using a private key matrix (PK₁) of size 2 × 2 up to 6 × 6… More >

Da-Chun Wu^*, Bing-Han Sie

CMES-Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences, Vol.144, No.1, pp. 535-580, 2025, DOI:10.32604/cmes.2025.067239 - 31 July 2025

Abstract Data hiding methods involve embedding secret messages into cover objects to enable covert communication in a way that is difficult to detect. In data hiding methods based on image interpolation, the image size is reduced and then enlarged through interpolation, followed by the embedding of secret data into the newly generated pixels. A general improving approach for embedding secret messages is proposed. The approach may be regarded a general model for enhancing the data embedding capacity of various existing image interpolation-based data hiding methods. This enhancement is achieved by expanding the range of pixel values… More >

Yixin Tang^1,2, Minqing Zhang^1,2,3,*, Peizheng Lai^1,2, Ya Yue^1,2, Fuqiang Di^1,2,*

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.84, No.3, pp. 5733-5750, 2025, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2025.064901 - 30 July 2025

Abstract Traditional steganography conceals information by modifying cover data, but steganalysis tools easily detect such alterations. While deep learning-based steganography often involves high training costs and complex deployment. Diffusion model-based methods face security vulnerabilities, particularly due to potential information leakage during generation. We propose a fixed neural network image steganography framework based on secure diffusion models to address these challenges. Unlike conventional approaches, our method minimizes cover modifications through neural network optimization, achieving superior steganographic performance in human visual perception and computer vision analyses. The cover images are generated in an anime style using state-of-the-art diffusion More >

Lingyun Xiang^*, Xu He, Xi Zhang, Chengfu Ou

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.84, No.2, pp. 2375-2389, 2025, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2025.065804 - 03 July 2025

Abstract Linguistic steganography (LS) aims to embed secret information into normal natural text for covert communication. It includes modification-based (MLS) and generation-based (GLS) methods. MLS often relies on limited manual rules, resulting in low embedding capacity, while GLS achieves higher embedding capacity through automatic text generation but typically ignores extraction efficiency. To address this, we propose a sentence attribute encoding-based MLS method that enhances extraction efficiency while maintaining strong performance. The proposed method designs a lightweight semantic attribute analyzer to encode sentence attributes for embedding secret information. When the attribute values of the cover sentence differ… More >

Hanan Hardan^1,*, Osama A. Khashan^2,*, Mohammad Alshinwan¹

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.84, No.1, pp. 1681-1710, 2025, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2025.061659 - 09 June 2025

Abstract This study introduces an Edge-Based Data Hiding and Extraction Algorithm (EBDHEA) to address the problem of data embedding in images while preserving robust security and high image quality. The algorithm produces three classes of pixels from the pixels in the cover image: edges found by the Canny edge detection method, pixels arising from the expansion of neighboring edge pixels, and pixels that are neither edges nor components of the neighboring edge pixels. The number of Least Significant Bits (LSBs) that are used to hide data depends on these classifications. Furthermore, the lossless compression method, Huffman… More >

Mardhatillah Shevy Ananti¹, Adifa Widyadhani Chanda D’Layla¹, Ntivuguruzwa Jean De La Croix^1,2, Tohari Ahmad^1,*

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.84, No.1, pp. 1031-1054, 2025, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2025.061246 - 09 June 2025

Abstract In the evolving landscape of secure communication, steganography has become increasingly vital to secure the transmission of secret data through an insecure public network. Several steganographic algorithms have been proposed using digital images with a common objective of balancing a trade-off between the payload size and the quality of the stego image. In the existing steganographic works, a remarkable distortion of the stego image persists when the payload size is increased, making several existing works impractical to the current world of vast data. This paper introduces FuzzyStego, a novel approach designed to enhance the stego… More >

Nagaraj V. Dharwadkar^*

Journal of Information Hiding and Privacy Protection, Vol.7, pp. 1-31, 2025, DOI:10.32604/jihpp.2025.060898 - 27 March 2025

Abstract Steganography, the art of concealing information within innocuous mediums, has been practiced for centuries and continues to evolve with advances in digital technology. In the modern era, steganography has become an essential complementary tool to cryptography, offering an additional layer of security, stealth, and deniability in digital communications. With the rise of cyber threats such as hacking, malware, and phishing, it is crucial to adopt methods that protect the confidentiality and integrity of data. This review focuses specifically on text-in-image steganography, exploring a range of techniques, including Least Significant Bit (LSB), Pixel Value Differencing (PVD),… More >

Xiang Zhang^1,2,*, Shenyan Han^1,2, Wenbin Huang^1,2, Daoyong Fu^1,2

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.83, No.1, pp. 1149-1171, 2025, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2025.060876 - 26 March 2025

Abstract Generative image steganography is a technique that directly generates stego images from secret information. Unlike traditional methods, it theoretically resists steganalysis because there is no cover image. Currently, the existing generative image steganography methods generally have good steganography performance, but there is still potential room for enhancing both the quality of stego images and the accuracy of secret information extraction. Therefore, this paper proposes a generative image steganography algorithm based on attribute feature transformation and invertible mapping rule. Firstly, the reference image is disentangled by a content and an attribute encoder to obtain content features… More >

Kening Wang^1,#, Feipeng Gao^2,#, Jie Yang^1,2,*, Hao Zhang¹

CMC-Computers, Materials & Continua, Vol.82, No.3, pp. 4797-4820, 2025, DOI:10.32604/cmc.2025.060042 - 06 March 2025

Abstract With the rapid advancement of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology, speech steganography techniques such as Quantization Index Modulation (QIM) and Pitch Modulation Steganography (PMS) have emerged as significant challenges to information security. These techniques embed hidden information into speech streams, making detection increasingly difficult, particularly under conditions of low embedding rates and short speech durations. Existing steganalysis methods often struggle to balance detection accuracy and computational efficiency due to their limited ability to effectively capture both temporal and spatial features of speech signals. To address these challenges, this paper proposes an Efficient Sliding Window… More >