Brute Force Attack on Distributed data Hiding in the Multi-Cloud Storage Environment More Diminutive than the Exponential Computations

Abstract

Classical steganography is designed to hide data by cover media. Recent approaches fragmented the data and hide them in a distributed manner by embedding each fragmented data into a distinct cover media. This approach makes a secret message extremely difficult for an attacker to detect. However, cover media modification leaves fingerprints that could expose a secret channel to an attacker. To overcome the problem, a novel steganography concept designed by two technical contributions. I). cover media does not undergo any modification, i.e., the cover media act as a pointer to fragmented data. II). A secret message is stored in the multi-cloud storage environment. The approach claimed that it is computationally infeasible for an attacker to detect and extract the hidden message despite of having fully access to the accounts of the different clouds. In this paper, we analysed the security strength of the novel steganography concept and concluded that, attacker can get the secret value stored in multi-cloud storage environment using the brute force attacks more diminutive than exponential computations.

Data Hiding in the Multi-Cloud Environment by Product Cipher-Based Distributed Steganography

“…The key agreement procedure is out of the scope of our work. The key consists of a set of information, i.e., a Cloud list and their credentials to access them, a Base value, a session key for permutation, and the number of files indexed in different lists for substitution, equation (1) shows the key and its information. .…”

“…. (1) where, Once the files are converted, the sender employs dynamic embedding strategies. These strategies involve utilizing both substitution and permutation operations to ensure that the converted files are embedded securely and discreetly across multiple cloud platforms.…”

“…Nevertheless, steganography offers a captivating approach by obfuscating hidden data and embedding confidential messages within innocuous cover messages guided by cryptographic keys. The essence of steganography lies in the formidable challenge it poses to unauthorized entities attempting to retrieve hidden messages without the proper key, adding an additional layer of security [1,[13][14][15][16][17][18].…”

“…Cloud computing, a cornerstone of distributed computing, provides access to versatile computational resources, boasting advantages such as cost-efficiency, enhanced data accessibility, and accelerated computational speeds [7][8][9][10][11][12]. Despite these benefits, the paramount challenge of ensuring data security within cloud environments persists [1]. To confront this challenge, the amalgamation of cryptography and steganography has emerged as a robust approach, enhancing the security of sensitive information and mitigating potential threats [2][3][4].…”

Enhancing Data Security in Multi-Cloud Environments: A Product Cipher-Based Distributed Steganography Approach

“…Nevertheless, steganography offers a captivating approach by obfuscating hidden data and embedding confidential messages within innocuous cover messages guided by cryptographic keys. The essence of steganography lies in the formidable challenge it poses to unauthorized entities attempting to retrieve hidden messages without the proper key, adding an additional layer of security [1][2][3][4][5][6][7].…”