Rygelock: An Open-Source Steganographic Framework with Multi-Layered Encryption, Masking, and Deception

Rygelock was developed as part of my Final Year Project. It is a comprehensive steganography system that supports image, video, and audio-based steganography techniques, and is implemented entirely in Python. The system is designed to help users safeguard their sensitive information through steganography, while also serving as a resource for enthusiasts who wish to build or extend their own steganographic solutions with my code/scripts. Although Rygelock is not yet a magnum opus, future improvements will focus on enhancing usability and delivering the most effective deniable steganography possible.

Use responsibly. Rygelock is provided for education and research. Do not use it to hide or transmit illegal content. Always comply with local laws and institutional policies.

✨ Features

• Dual‑payload genuine + decoy flow with independent security (password/key/encryption).
• AES‑GCM encryption of envelopes prior to embedding.
• Multiple Encrytion Option to choose.
• Matryoshka multi‑layer embedding (optional).
• Format-aware stego algorithms (image/audio/video).
• Masking obfuscation layer using ChaCha20, unique salt and random onetime use nonce
• Clear extraction workflow with metadata parsing and safeguards.

📦 Project Structure

Rygelock/
├─ assets/               # icons, logos, system audio
├─ core/                 # algorithms, encryption, engine scripts assets/
├─ ui/                   # UI-based scripts core/
├─ utils/                # helpers (audio, config, validation)
├─ rygel.py                # Main Script

🧰 Getting Started (Developers)

1) Clone and set up a virtual environment

# Clone your new repo after you create it on GitHub
git clone https://github.com/<your-username>/Rygelock.git
cd Rygelock

# Create & activate a virtual environment
python -m venv .venv
.venv\Scripts\activate

# Install deps
pip install --upgrade pip
pip install -r requirements.txt

2) Run the project

python rygel.py

🧪 Verifying Standalone Checksums

• MD5: 027b37e23eff71bbb89afdfb8ccca2fe
• SHA-1: 7b182c654a400e5950d20289840dfe11adf7c5cf
• SHA-256: bdd4f7b541dde8445a79e50f3d8ccdeac184fcaa05a8976f5a57bab5eef1df52

📝 Documentation

See Rygelock_User_Guide.pdf for a comprehensive guide with screenshots.