An Enhanced Secure and Fast Image Encryption Algorithm Based on Chaos Systems and DNA Coding

Safae Amine; Fatima Koulouh; Mohammed Es-Sabry; Nabil El Akkad; Walid El-Shafai; Ahmad Taher Azar; Selma Abdelrahman Hussein

doi:10.48084/etasr.16670

Authors

Safae Amine Laboratory of Applied Sciences and Emerging Technologies, National School of Applied Sciences, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Fez, Morocco
Fatima Koulouh Laboratory of Applied Sciences and Emerging Technologies, National School of Applied Sciences, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Fez, Morocco
Mohammed Es-Sabry Department of Information Security, Intelligent Systems and Application, Faculty of Sciences, Abdelmalek Essaadi University, Tetouan, Morocco
Nabil El Akkad Laboratory of Applied Sciences and Emerging Technologies, National School of Applied Sciences, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Fez, Morocco
Walid El-Shafai Automated Systems and Computing Lab (ASCL), Prince Sultan University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | Department of Electronics and Electrical Communications Engineering, Faculty of Electronic Engineering, Menoufia University, Menoufia, Egypt
Ahmad Taher Azar College of Computer and Information Sciences, Prince Sultan University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | Automated Systems and Computing Lab (ASCL), Prince Sultan University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Selma Abdelrahman Hussein Research and Initiative Center, Prince Sultan University, Automated Systems and Computing Lab (ASCL), Prince Sultan University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Volume: 16 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 35094-35111 | June 2026 | https://doi.org/10.48084/etasr.16670

Received: 2 December 2025 | Revised: 4 January 2026, 21 January 2026, and 11 February 2026 | Accepted: 13 February 2026 | Online: 8 April 2026

Corresponding author: Walid El-Shafai

Abstract

This study presents an enhanced color image encryption algorithm that integrates multiple techniques to ensure high levels of security, efficiency, and robustness. The encryption process begins with circular shift and rotation operations to permute the pixel positions and disrupt spatial relationships within the image. This is followed by the application of two one-dimensional chaotic maps, specifically, the Tent Map and the Hénon Map, which generate pseudo-random sequences that are subsequently combined with the original image through sequential XOR operations, thereby inducing significant confusion in the pixel values. To further strengthen security, a final layer of DNA-based encryption introduces an additional level of complexity and enhances resistance against both statistical and differential attacks. The performance and reliability of the proposed algorithm were rigorously evaluated across multiple test images using a comprehensive set of security metrics, including histogram uniformity, correlation coefficients, entropy, Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR), and Mean Squared Error (MSE). The proposed algorithm demonstrates high sensitivity to minor changes in either the encryption key or the input image, as evidenced by elevated values in the Unified Average Changing Intensity (UACI) and Number of Pixels Change Rate (NPCR) metrics. Comparative analysis against several state-of-the-art encryption schemes highlights the superiority of the proposed method in terms of both security strength and computational performance. These findings validate the proposed approach as a promising solution for secure image transmission in modern digital communication systems.

Keywords:

image encryption, chaotic maps, tent map, Hénon map, DNA cryptography, circular shift and pixel permutation, XOR operation

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