Enhancing Security in Medical Image Integrity: A 4D Hyperchaotic Keyed Hash Algorithm Approach

Abstract

In recent years, the use of chaotic iterative maps in cryptographic systems, particularly chaotic hash functions, has seen significant expansion. The inherent sensitivity to small changes in initial conditions and control parameters within chaotic systems makes chaotic hash functions particularly suitable. Preserving the integrity of digital medical images is of paramount importance due to the challenges posed by even slight modifications. Diagnosing a precise disease from a slightly modified digital medical image becomes an insuperable task. To address this, the paper introduces a secure keyed hash algorithm based on a 4D hyperchaotic system. A pre-processing step involves obtaining the Unicode of each pixel in the Region of Interest (ROI) in a medical image, generating four sequences from the Unicode as initial values for the 4D hyperchaotic system. The 256-bit user key (K) is extended to form four sequences, serving as parameters for the 4D hyperchaotic system. The generation process produces a hash value with adjustable length. the proposed method, illustrating results closely approximating the ideal values, with an average of 50.007 in a message length of 512 bits over 2048 iterations. It's essential to note that the ideal values typically exhibit a 50%. Furthermore, the algorithm's speed is compared with other proposed algorithms in the research, with a recorded speed of 0.037, outperforming alternative methods which range between 3.484 and 0.070 Ms. A thorough performance evaluation demonstrates the effectiveness and flexibility of the proposed hash algorithm. proposed algorithm's effectiveness and flexibility. Results are highly promising, closely approximating the ideals.