A Secure Peer-to-Peer Image Sharing Using Rubik’s Cube Algorithm and Key Distribution Centre

Abstract

In this work, we build upon an implementation of a peer-to-peer image encryption algorithm: “Rubik’s cube algorithm”. The algorithm utilizes pixel-level scrambling and XOR-based diffusion, facilitated through the symmetric key. Empirical analysis has proven this algorithm to have the advantage of large key space, high-level security, high obscurity level, and high speed, aiding in secure image transmission over insecure channels. However, the base approach has drawbacks of key generation being handled client-side (at nodes) and the process is time-consuming due to dynamically generating keys. Our work solves these issues by introducing a Key Distribution Center (KDC) to distribute symmetric keys for transmission, increasing confidentiality, and reducing key-generation overhead on nodes. Three approaches utilizing the KDC are presented, communicating the dimensions with KDC to generate keys, standardizing any image to fixed dimensions to standardize key-generation, and lastly, using a single session key which is cyclically iterated over, emulating different dimensions.