“Our work demonstrates that 𝑃ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑜𝐷𝑁𝐴 is unreliable for the detection of illicit content: it is easy to incriminate someone by sending them false content with a hash value close to illicit content (a false positive) and to avoid detection of illicit content with minimal modifications to an image (a false negative)”

eprint.iacr.org/2026/486

White-Box Attacks on PhotoDNA Perceptual Hash Function

𝑃ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑜𝐷𝑁𝐴 is a widely deployed perceptual hash function used for the detection of illicit content such as Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).

^{IACR Cryptology ePrint Archive}