Color image encryption scheme based on a novel 2D-CLCM chaotic system and RNA encoding

Xingbin Liu, Shuyi Zheng and Jing Yang

Mathematics and Computers in Simulation (MATCOM), 2026, vol. 239, issue C, 340-360

Abstract: To improve the efficiency and security of image storage and transmission, a color image encryption scheme based on a chaotic map and RNA encoding is proposed in this study. Considering the limitations of some existing chaotic systems, such as discontinuities, uneven distributions, and fewer control parameters, a novel two-dimensional chaotic map coupled Logistic map and Cubic map named 2D-CLCM is proposed to participate in the image encryption process. The performance of 2D-CLCM is rigorously tested and verified through the bifurcation diagram, Lyapunov exponent, sample entropy, 0–1 test, and sensitivity analysis. The RNA encoding rules have the advantages of flexibility and diversity than DNA encoding. The color pixel composed of three channels is jointly encoded to 4 codons as each codon contains 6 bits. The intra-inter layers permutation is applied for the encoded RNA image using pseudo-random sequences generated with 2D-CLCM to perform pixel scrambling. Subsequently, the permutated RNA image and an RNA key matrix are mutually operated utilizing an operator matrix including addition, subtraction, XOR, and XNOR. Finally, the ciphertext image is obtained through decoding with rules different from the encoding process. This dual scrambling and diffusion process ensures robust security against various attacks. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves excellent encryption performance in terms of histogram, correlation coefficient, information entropy, key space, NPCR, and UACI, highlighting its effectiveness for secure image encryption.

Keywords: Chaotic system; RNA encoding; Image encryption; Security analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378475425002381
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:matcom:v:239:y:2026:i:c:p:340-360

DOI: 10.1016/j.matcom.2025.06.009

Access Statistics for this article

Mathematics and Computers in Simulation (MATCOM) is currently edited by Robert Beauwens

More articles in Mathematics and Computers in Simulation (MATCOM) from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().