Image authentication by detecting traces of demosaicing

Abstract

With increasing technical advances, computer graphics are becoming more photorealistic. Therefore, it is important to develop methods for distinguishing between actual photographs from digital cameras and computer generated images. We describe a novel approach to this problem. Rather than focusing on the statistical differences between the image textures, we recognize that images from digital cameras contain traces of resampling as a result of using a color filter array with demosaicing algorithms. We recognize that estimation of the actual demosaicing parameters is not necessary; rather, detection of the presence of demosaicing is the key. The in-camera processing (rather than the image content) distinguishes the digital camera photographs from computer graphics. Our results show high reliability on a standard test set of JPEG compressed images from consumer digital cameras. Further, we show the application of these ideas for accurately localizing forged regions within digital camera images.