Python Image based Steganography

In this article, we will learn about image based steganography using Python.Stenography is a method of hiding a text behind audio,video and images. This is used to enhance the security and protection from false copyright claims.

We are achieving this by the help of encoding feature available in the stepic module available in Python.For displaying and viewing purposes we use the PIL (Python Imaging Library) available in Python .

Ide preferred −Jupyter notebook

Importing all the dependencies −

>>> import stepic

In this article we will encode text on the image given below . Please download the image below and save as “logo.png” in the jupyter notebook localhost folder.

You can use any image of you choice. You just need to specify the path of your image within double quotes.

>>> img = Image.open('logo.png')
>>> img.show()

Here the Image function allows us to open the “image” on which steganography needs to be performed. The .show() function allows us to see the image in the form of a popup as shown below.

Now using the stepic module we encode a message into 8 bit binary data using the ASCII value . Foe encoding the .encode() function is used which accepts two parameters i.e. image and message.

We use the .save() function to save the hidden message into our original image.

>>> img1 = stepic.encode(im, b'Tutorialspoint')
>>> img1.save('logo.png', 'PNG')

Now let’s display the encoded image .

>>> img1 = Image.open('logo.png')
>>> img1.show()

I think you observe no change in the two images. This is because the message is hidden and isn’t visible directly.

To verify that you have successfully encoded the message go through the code below.

>>> im2 = Image.open('logo.png')
>>> message_hidden = stepic.decode(im2)
>>> print(message_hidden)

Output

'Tutorialspoint'

Here hidden/encoded message is displayed by the built-in decoder of stepic module available in Python.

Conclusion

In this article, we learnt about the image based Steganography using stepic and PIL Module available in Python 3.x. Or earlier.