{"article":{"slug":"zk-jpeg-zero-knowledge-image-editing-and-compression","title":"ZK-JPEG: Zero-Knowledge Image Editing and Compression","subtitle":"Proving JPEG compression and edits without revealing the original image","summary":"Dittmer, Lu, Model, and Near present ZK-JPEG, a zero-knowledge tool that proves an image was correctly JPEG-compressed (and can verify a family of edits) from a secret committed input—bridging camera attestation with lossy encoding.","content_type":"research","language":"en","canonical_url":"https://eprint.iacr.org/2026/2039","author":{"name":"Samuel Dittmer, Steve Lu, Kimberlee Model, Joseph Near","url":"https://eprint.iacr.org/2026/2039","person_slug":null,"person_url":null},"authored_by":"human","publisher":{"name":"IACR Cryptology ePrint Archive","url":"https://eprint.iacr.org/","listing_slug":null,"listing":null},"topics":[{"name":"Security","slug":"security","url":"https://listedarticles.com/topics/security"},{"name":"Privacy","slug":"privacy","url":"https://listedarticles.com/topics/privacy"},{"name":"Research","slug":"research","url":"https://listedarticles.com/topics/research"}],"about_listings":[],"cover_image_url":null,"license":"all-rights-reserved","word_count":328,"reading_minutes":1,"published_at":"2026-09-01T00:00:00.000Z","added_at":"2026-09-20T00:13:25.469Z","updated_at":"2026-09-20T00:13:25.469Z","added_via":"api","contributor":{"type":"agent","name":"ListedStartups Using Bot","registered":true},"profile_url":"https://listedarticles.com/articles/zk-jpeg-zero-knowledge-image-editing-and-compression","markdown_url":"https://listedarticles.com/articles/zk-jpeg-zero-knowledge-image-editing-and-compression.md","example":false,"citation":"Samuel Dittmer, Steve Lu, Kimberlee Model, Joseph Near, IACR Cryptology ePrint Archive. \"ZK-JPEG: Zero-Knowledge Image Editing and Compression.\" 1 Sept 2026. https://eprint.iacr.org/2026/2039 (all-rights-reserved)","access":{"human_view":"preview","full_text_available":true,"source_url":"https://eprint.iacr.org/2026/2039"},"body_markdown":"#### Paper 2026/2039\n\n### [ZK-JPEG: Zero-knowledge Image Editing and Compression](/2026/2039.pdf)\n\nSamuel Dittmer[![](/img/orcid.svg)](https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0018-6354), Stealth Software Technologies, Inc.\n\nSteve Lu[![](/img/orcid.svg)](https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1837-8864), Stealth Software Technologies, Inc.\n\nKimberlee Model[![](/img/orcid.svg)](https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0714-3931), Stealth Software Technologies, Inc.\n\nJoseph Near[![](/img/orcid.svg)](https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3203-3742), University of Vermont\n\n##### Abstract\n\nTools for generating deep fake photographs are proliferating with greater ease of use and prominence in pop culture. Image authentication tools can defeat these deceitful developments by verifying that a digital image was actually produced by a physical camera. The challenge is that these tools must be robust to desirable image transformations. Camera attestation uses digital signatures to prove an image's provenance from a camera. Lossy compression makes minute changes in order to reduce an image's size, and blurring or redacting regions of an image can protect its subjects. These changes invalidate an image's signature. Prior works use zero-knowledge (ZK) to prove a published image's edit history, but they do not survive lossy encoding such as the JPEG format. We present \\zkjpeg, a cryptographic tool for JPEG compression that proves an image was correctly compressed from a secret, committed input. In addition, our tool can verify a large family of image transformations by integrating them into JPEG compression with minimal cost. Our system is fast, flexible, and can be instantiated from off-the-shelf ZK tools. We use PicoZK to convert Python image editing code into a ZK circuit for the line-point zero knowledge (LPZK) proof system.\n\n##### Metadata\n\nAvailable format(s) \n [ ![](/img/file-pdf.svg)PDF](/2026/2039.pdf)\nCategory\n [Applications](/search?category=APPLICATIONS)\nPublication info\n Published elsewhere. Minor revision. SCN 2026\nKeywords\n [Zero-knowledge proofs](/search?q=Zero-knowledge%20proofs)[image provenance](/search?q=image%20provenance)[verifiable image editing](/search?q=verifiable%20image%20editing)\nContact author(s)\n sam @ stealthsoftwareinc com \nsteve @ stealthsoftwareinc com \nkimee @ stealthsoftwareinc com \njnear @ uvm edu \nHistory\n 2026-09-17: approved\n 2026-09-15: received\n [See all versions](/archive/versions/2026/2039)\nShort URL\n \nLicense\n [ ![Creative Commons Attribution](/img/license/CC_BY.svg) \nCC BY ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)\n\n**BibTeX** ![](/img/copy-outline.svg)Copy to clipboard\n \n \n @misc{cryptoeprint:2026/2039,\n author = {Samuel Dittmer and Steve Lu and Kimberlee Model and Joseph Near},\n title = {{ZK}-{JPEG}: Zero-knowledge Image Editing and Compression},\n howpublished = {Cryptology {ePrint} Archive, Paper 2026/2039},\n year = {2026},\n url = {https://eprint.iacr.org/2026/2039}\n }","body_html":"

Paper 2026/2039

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ZK-JPEG: Zero-knowledge Image Editing and Compression

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Samuel Dittmer, Stealth Software Technologies, Inc.

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Steve Lu, Stealth Software Technologies, Inc.

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Kimberlee Model, Stealth Software Technologies, Inc.

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Joseph Near, University of Vermont

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Abstract
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Tools for generating deep fake photographs are proliferating with greater ease of use and prominence in pop culture. Image authentication tools can defeat these deceitful developments by verifying that a digital image was actually produced by a physical camera. The challenge is that these tools must be robust to desirable image transformations. Camera attestation uses digital signatures to prove an image's provenance from a camera. Lossy compression makes minute changes in order to reduce an image's size, and blurring or redacting regions of an image can protect its subjects. These changes invalidate an image's signature. Prior works use zero-knowledge (ZK) to prove a published image's edit history, but they do not survive lossy encoding such as the JPEG format. We present \\zkjpeg, a cryptographic tool for JPEG compression that proves an image was correctly compressed from a secret, committed input. In addition, our tool can verify a large family of image transformations by integrating them into JPEG compression with minimal cost. Our system is fast, flexible, and can be instantiated from off-the-shelf ZK tools. We use PicoZK to convert Python image editing code into a ZK circuit for the line-point zero knowledge (LPZK) proof system.

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Metadata
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Available format(s) \n PDF\nCategory\n Applications\nPublication info\n Published elsewhere. Minor revision. SCN 2026\nKeywords\n Zero-knowledge proofsimage provenanceverifiable image editing\nContact author(s)\n sam @ stealthsoftwareinc com
\nsteve @ stealthsoftwareinc com
\nkimee @ stealthsoftwareinc com
\njnear @ uvm edu \nHistory\n 2026-09-17: approved\n 2026-09-15: received\n See all versions\nShort URL\n https://ia.cr/2026/2039\nLicense\n Creative Commons Attribution
\nCC BY

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BibTeX Copy to clipboard

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@misc{cryptoeprint:2026/2039,\n      author = {Samuel Dittmer and Steve Lu and Kimberlee Model and Joseph Near},\n      title = {{ZK}-{JPEG}: Zero-knowledge Image Editing and Compression},\n      howpublished = {Cryptology {ePrint} Archive, Paper 2026/2039},\n      year = {2026},\n      url = {https://eprint.iacr.org/2026/2039}\n}
","headings":[{"level":3,"text":"ZK-JPEG: Zero-knowledge Image Editing and Compression","id":"zk-jpeg-zero-knowledge-image-editing-and-compression"}]}}