Color image encryption algorithm using a new four-dimensional hyperchaotic system

doi:10.1088/1674-1056/ae0bff

Abstract With the widespread applications of digital images in fields such as medical imaging, remote sensing, and financial transactions, ensuring image confidentiality has become increasingly important. However, some existing image encryption schemes still suffer from limited key space and insufficient security. To address these, this paper proposes a novel color image encryption algorithm (CIEA-4DALHS) based on a newly constructed four-dimensional augmented Lü hyperchaotic system (4DALHS). The scheme integrates bidirectional spiral cross scrambling with arbitrary starting points and four traversal modes, bit-plane substitution for fine-grained pixel modification, and hierarchical regional segmentation diffusion with cross-channel cascading effects. These strategies significantly enhance both permutation and diffusion effects. Experimental results and security analysis demonstrate the superiority of CIEA-4DALHS. For example, the key space is sufficiently large, high ciphertext information entropy, and strong robustness against statistical and differential attacks. Compared with recent methods, the proposed scheme CIEA-4DALHS offers both high efficiency and security, highlighting its strong potential for real-world applications in image protection.

Keywords: image encryption hyperchaotic system bit-plane substitution dynamic analysis security analysis

Received: 23 July 2025
Revised: 10 September 2025
Accepted manuscript online: 26 September 2025

PACS:	05.45.-a	(Nonlinear dynamics and chaos)
	05.45.Gg	(Control of chaos, applications of chaos)

Fund: The authors would like to thank the Editor and all Reviewers for all help on this manuscript. Project supported in part by the Guangdong Basic and Applied Basics Research Foundation (Grant No. 2026A1515011617), the Special Project in Key Area of General University in Guangdong Province of China (Grant No. 2020ZDZX3064), and the Innovation Team Project of General University in Guangdong Province of China (Grant No. 2024KCXTD042).

Corresponding Authors: Guodong Ye
E-mail: guodongye@hotmail.com

Cite this article:

Bo Lin(林博), Min Liu(刘敏), and Guodong Ye(叶国栋) Color image encryption algorithm using a new four-dimensional hyperchaotic system 2026 Chin. Phys. B 35 050502

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Color image encryption algorithm using a new four-dimensional hyperchaotic system

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