Context adaptive binary arithmetic coding-based data hiding in partially encrypted H.264/AVC videos

• Published in: Journal of electronic imaging 2015-05, Vol.24 (3), p.033028-033028
• Main Authors: Xu, Dawen, Wang, Rangding
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1017-9909; 1560-229X
• DOI: 10.1117/1.JEI.24.3.033028

A scheme of data hiding directly in a partially encrypted version of H.264/AVC videos is proposed which includes three parts, i.e., selective encryption, data embedding and data extraction. Selective encryption is performed on context adaptive binary arithmetic coding (CABAC) bin-strings via stream ciphers. By careful selection of CABAC entropy coder syntax elements for selective encryption, the encrypted bitstream is format-compliant and has exactly the same bit rate. Then a data-hider embeds the additional data into partially encrypted H.264/AVC videos using a CABAC bin-string substitution technique without accessing the plaintext of the video content. Since bin-string substitution is carried out on those residual coefficients with approximately the same magnitude, the quality of the decrypted video is satisfactory. Video file size is strictly preserved even after data embedding. In order to adapt to different application scenarios, data extraction can be done either in the encrypted domain or in the decrypted domain. Experimental results have demonstrated the feasibility and efficiency of the proposed scheme.