Efficient image tampering localization using semi-fragile watermarking and error control codes

•Error-Locating codes for fast tampering localization semi-fragile watermarking.•Image tampered regions are associated to embedding Error-Locating codes codewords.•Compared to some BCH and RS codes, EL codes have lower decoding complexity.•The proposed method is based on QIM method in the DWT domain.•The proposed method is suitable for real-time applications. In this paper, we propose an image tampering localization algorithm using semi-fragile watermarking and Error-Locating codes in the DWT domain. By introducing different families of codes, we show the benefit in terms of image tampering localization and complexity of using control code error localization as an authentication function. Indeed, we first experimentally show that error localization block codes is as precise as using classical error correcting codes (Reed-Solomon and BCH codes) to locate image tampering. However, their corresponding decoding algorithms complexity is at least quadratic which make them impractical for some real time applications. To solve this problem, we introduce error-control codes called Error-Locating codes where error localization is reduced to a single syndrome computation performed with low number of binary operations (detailed later in the paper). We provide comparisons of image quality and tampering localization performances using error-detection, error-localization and error-correction approaches with different error control codes.