AI Extracts Fingerprints from Peace Sign Photos to Enable Theft
Security experts in China demonstrated that artificial intelligence can extract fingerprints from selfies showing the "peace" or "V" hand gesture, potentially enabling identity theft and financial fraud. A 2025 incident in Hangzhou involved criminals attempting to use extracted fingerprints from online photos to unlock smart door locks.
What happened
In a Chinese reality show, cybersecurity expert Li Chang demonstrated how fingerprints could be extracted from a celebrity selfie using AI technology. Li Chang stated that if fingertips face the camera and are photographed from approximately 1.5 meters away, fingerprints can be extracted with significant clarity, and photos taken from 1.5 to 3 meters away may still reveal about half of the fingerprint details.
In 2025, a group of criminals in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, reportedly attempted to open a smart door lock using photos of the homeowner's hand that had been previously uploaded online.
Reported impact
According to experts, if biometric data such as fingerprints are compromised, users face significant risk of financial theft and identity fraud, as fingerprints and facial data are difficult to change. In one reported case, an employee used silicone fingerprint covers to steal 580,000 yuan (approximately 1.5 billion rupiah) from coworkers using fingerprints collected through a company attendance system.
Index analysis
Pei Zhiyong, Director of Qianxin Industry Security Research Centre, stated that fingerprint reconstruction can only occur under specific conditions including sufficient lighting, camera focus, distance from the subject, and photo quality. According to South China Morning Post, fingerprints can become clearly visible through photo editing software and AI technology.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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