Image Encryption Algorithm Based on Henon

Chaotic System
Chen Wei-bin#1, Zhang Xin*2
#
College of Computer Science and Engineering, Wenzhou University
Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
1
sun@wzu.edu.cn
*
School of Information and Engineering, Wenzhou Medical College
Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
2
zhangxin@wzmc.net

Abstract— In this paper, a new image encryption algorithm is

presented based on Henon chaotic system in order to meet the II. THE PROPOSED ENCRYPTION ALGORITHM
requirements of secure image transfer. Shuffling the positions The image encryption algorithm includes two steps. Firstly,
and changing the grey values of image pixels are combined to the positions of the pixels of the original image are shuffled
shuffle the relationship between the cipher-image and the by Arnold cat map. Then the pixel values of the shuffled
original-image. First, the Arnold cat map is used to shuffle the
image are encrypted by Henon’s chaotic system.
positions of the image pixels. Second, the shuffled-image is
encrypted based on Henon’s chaotic system pixel by pixel. There A. Encryption by Arnold cat map
are several parameters in this kind of chaos system and Arnold
cat map. The results of several experimental, statistical analysis The Arnold cat map is a two-dimensional invertible chaotic
and key sensitivity tests show that the proposed image encryption map [5]. Without loss of generality, we assume the dimension
scheme provides an efficient and secure way for image of the original grayscale image I is M
M . Arnold cat map
encryption. The distribution of grey values of the encrypted is described as following:
image exhibits a random-like behavior.

x n +1 
1 c 
xn 
 = mod(M )
y n +1  d cd + 1  y n 
  (1)
Keywords— Image encryption; Arnold map; Henon’s chaotic
system 
where c and d are positive integers. The ( x n +1 , y n +1 ) is the
I. INTRODUCTION
In order to transmit images data safely, numerous new position of original image, and the ( x n , y n ) is the
encryption algorithms have been developed. Due to desirable original position of the original image. where n = 0,1,2,
.
properties of non-linear dynamical systems such as ergodicity, After iterating N times, there exist positive integers T ,such
sensitive dependence on initial conditions and good
pseudo-random properties, the chaos-based encryption has that ( x n +1 , y n +1 ) = ( x, y ) . The period T depends on the
suggested a new and efficient way to deal with the intractable parameters c , d and the size M of the original image.
problem of fast and highly secure image encryption. Therefore,
Thus the parameters c , d and the number of iterations N all
chaotic dynamics are expected to provide a fast and easy way
can be used as the secret keys. Since there only exists a linear
to build cryptosystems. In order to improve the security of the
transformation and mod function, it is very efficient to shuffle
image encryption algorithm, many researchers prefer shuffling
the pixel positions using the Arnold cat map. After several
the positions and changing the grey values of image pixels
iterations, the correlation among the adjacent pixels can be
simultaneously. In [1], a symmetric image encryption scheme
disturbed completely. Some experiments are given in Section
based on 3D chaotic cat maps is presented. In [2], on the
3 to demonstrate the efficiency of Arnold cat map. However,
security of 3D Cat map based symmetric image is proposed.
the periodicity of Arnold cat map should degrade the security
And combined image encryption algorithm based on diffusion
the encryption, because the possible attacks may iterate the
mapped disorder and hyperchaotic systems encryption scheme
Arnold cat map continuously to reappear the original image.
are also presented [3-4]. However, the encryption arithmetic
There are no differences between the original-image and
based on 3D chaotic cat maps is a computationally expensive
cipher-image on the statistical properties [6-8]. At the same
process. And the key space is not independence.
time, the key space of positive integers is limited. Therefore,
This paper is organized as follows. In Section 2, the design
we adopt Henon chaotic system to change the pixel values
of the proposed image encryption scheme is discussed in
next to improve the security.
details. In Section3, some simulation results are described. In
Section 4, security analysis is given. In Section5, conclusion B. Encryption by Henon chaotic system and Arnold cat map
remarks are drawn. Henon chaotic map[9-10]is first discovered in 1978, which

978-1-4244-3986-7/09/$25.00 ©2009 IEEE

is described as following:
xi +1 = 1
ax + y i
2 histogram. The parameters are selected as a = 0.3 ,
i
(2)
y i +1 = bxi , i = 0,1,2,

The well-studied Henon map presents a simple
two-dimensional map with quadratic non-linearity. This map
gave a first example of the strange attractor with a fractal
structure. Because of its simplicity, the Henon map easily
lends itself to numerical studies. Thus a large amount of
computer investigations followed. Nevertheless, the complete
picture of all possible bifurcations under the change of the
parameters a and b is far from completion. If one chooses
a = 0.3, b = 1.4 , the system is chaotic.
In our scheme, two variables of the Henon chaotic map are
adopted to encrypt the shuffled-image. The encryption process
consists of there steps of operations.
Step1: The Henon chaotic system is converted into
one-dimensional chaotic map. The one-dimensional Henon
chaotic map is defined as:
xi + 2 = 1
ax I2+1 + bxi (3)
Henon chaotic map and Fig.3(b) is the corresponding
b = 1.4 .The secret keys to change the pixel values of the
original fusion-image are x0 = 0.01 , x1 = 0.02 . As we can
see, the histogram of the ciphered image is fairly uniform and
is significantly different from that of the original-image. The
encryption procedure complicates.
Fig.4(a) illustrates the decrypted shuffled-image and
Fig.4(b) is the corresponding histogram. The parameters are
selected as a = 0.3 , b = 1.4 . The secret keys to change the
pixel values of the shuffled-image are x0 = 0.01 , x1 = 0.02 .
Since the chaotic systems are deterministic, the receiver can
reconstruct the same shuffled-image exactly using the secret
keys.Fig.4(c) illustrates the decrypted original-image and
Fig.4(d) is the corresponding histogram. The anti-process of
image shuffle is described as formula (4).

Where a = 0.3 , b
[1.07,1.4] .The parameter a ,the

parameter b , initial value x0 and initial value x1 may
represent the key.
Step2: After image shuffle, we adopt Henon chaotic map to
change the pixel values of the shuffled-image. First, Henon
chaotic map is obtained by formula(3). Then transform matrix
of pixel values is created.
Step3: The exclusive OR operation will be completed
bit-by-bit between the transform matrix of pixel values and
the values of the shuffled-image. We can obtain the
cipher-image. (a)
Since the chaotic systems are deterministic, the receiver can
reconstruct the same shuffled-image exactly using the same
secret keys. Then the anti-process of image shuffle is
described as:

1
 xn   1 c   x n +1 
 y  = d cd + 1  y  mod(M ) (4)
 n    n +1 
The parameter is chosen the same as the process of image
shuffle. After that, the original image can be obtained. The
decrypted process is completed.

III. EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS

Some experimental results are given in this section to (b)
demonstrate the efficiency of our scheme. The original-image Fig. 1. original-image and its histogram (a) original-image; (b) histogram
with the size 256
256 is shown in Fig.1(a) and the histogram of the original-image
of the original-image is shown in Fig.1(b). Fig.2(a) is the
shuffled-image and Fig.2(b) is the histogram of the
shuffled-image. The Arnold cat map is chosen as
c = d = 2 and M = 10 .Image shuffle is first step of image
encryption.
Fig.2(b) illustrates the histogram of the original-image is
the same as the histogram of the shuffled-image. As can be
seen that, Arnold cat map only shuffle the pixel positions of
the original- image. Fig.3(a) illustrates the cipher-image by
 (a) (a)

(b) (b)
Fig. 2. Encryption by using Arnold cat map: (a) shuffled image; (b) histogram
of the shuffled-image.

(c)

(a)

(d)
(b)
Fig.4. decrypted image and histogram of the decrypted image (a) decrypted
Fig. 3. Encryption by Henon’s chaotic system: (a) cipher-image; (b) shuffled-image (b) histogram of the decrypted shuffled-image (c) decrypted
histogram of the cipher-image. original-image (d) histogram of the decrypted original-image
 IV. SECURITY ANALYSIS
A good encryption scheme should be sensitive to the secret
keys, and the key space should be large enough to make
brute-force attacks infeasible. In our encryption algorithm, the
key-image and the initial values of Henon chaotic map are
used as secret keys. The key space is large enough to resist all
kinds of brute-force attacks. The experimental results also
demonstrate that our scheme is very sensitive to the secret key
mismatch. Fig. 5 illustrates the sensitivity of our scheme with
the secret key x0 and x1 .The cipher-image is shown in Fig.
3(a), which is decrypted using x0 = 0.01 , x1 = 0.02 ,and
c = d = 2 , M = 10 .As can be seen that, even the secret key
x0 is changed a little ( x0 = 0.0100001 ), the decrypted
shuffled-image is absolutely different from the original
shuffled-image. So it is difficult to obtain the original-image.
Similar results for other secret keys x1 all can be obtained. As
we can see, the decrypted image with wrong keys has a
histogram with random behavior. The sensitivity to initial
conditions which is the main characterization of chaos
guarantees the security of our scheme. Furthermore, the step
of image shuffle is double protection of secret key.
Undoubtedly, the secret keys are secure enough.
(a) (b)
Fig.5. The sensitivity to the secret key x0 (a) decrypted shuffled-image
( x0 = 0.100001 ) ; (b) histogram of the decrypted image.
V. CONCLUSIONS
In this paper, a new image encryption scheme is presented.
Both theoretical analysis and experimental results show that
the proposed cryptosystem has high security. It is found that
such a design can enhance the randomness. The proposed
algorithm has four merits: 1) the algorithm has a large enough
key space to resist all kinds of brute force attacks. 2) The new
encrypted arithmetic not only shuffle the pixel positions of the
original-image, but also change the grey values of the
original-image. 3) The encryption algorithm is very sensitive
to the secret keys. 4) The operation time of the encryption
algorithm is shorter than the 3D Arnold cat map. As
demonstrated in our simulation, this approach is suitable in
security.
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