A Covert Channel Communication Method Based on Pixel Offset Encoding and Decoding Technique

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1671-1122.2021.04.004

Abstract

Abstract:

Using screen-camera covert channel, covert communication can be realized by shooting the screen. The current implementation of screen-camera covert channel requires a strictlylimited shooting angle for the camera. Given this situation, this paper introduces a screen-camera covert channel method based on pixel offset coding technique. In this method, pixel values of the display frame are offset and embed QR code into the frame.Using the poor ability of the human eye for distinguishing images with similar contrast and brightness, the frames can be sent to the camera secretly. In the decoding process, the offset is extracted, and the perspective restoration method is used to neutralize the interference caused by shooting angles and the QR codeisrestored. QR code is used as the information coding scheme, and pixel value offset coding is used as the transmission coding scheme. This combination combines the high error correction ability of QR code and the strong anti-interference ability of offset coding to realize robust transmission. In this paper, the feasibility of the method is verified by experiments, Experimental results show that this method is suitable for image extraction and restoration in the presence of shooting angle, and the average module error rate is less than 3%.

Key words: covert channels, screen-camera communication, air-gapped system, data exfiltration, image processing

CLC Number:

TP309

SONG Yubo, MA Wenhao, HU Aiqun, WANG Junbo. A Covert Channel Communication Method Based on Pixel Offset Encoding and Decoding Technique[J]. Netinfo Security, 2021, 21(4): 31-38.

Figures/Tables 8

References 14

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	拍摄角度/°	模块错误数	模块误码率/％	可解码性
浅色背景	0	4	0.4756	是
	15	5	0.5945	是
	30	5	0.5945	是
	45	24	2.854	是
	60	2	0.2378	是
深色背景	0	3	0.3567	是
	15	6	0.7134	是
	30	5	0.5945	是
	45	21	2.497	是
	60	1	0.1189	是

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