Visualizing landmark-based face morphing traces on digital images

This paper focuses on an identity sharing scheme known as face image morphing or simply morphing. Morphing is the process of creating a composite face image, a morph, by digitally manipulating face images of different individuals, usually two. Under certain circumstances, the composite image looks l...

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Main Authors: Ilias Batskos, Luuk Spreeuwers, Raymond Veldhuis
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2023-06-01
Series:Frontiers in Computer Science
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomp.2023.981933/full
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author Ilias Batskos
Luuk Spreeuwers
Raymond Veldhuis
author_facet Ilias Batskos
Luuk Spreeuwers
Raymond Veldhuis
author_sort Ilias Batskos
collection DOAJ
description This paper focuses on an identity sharing scheme known as face image morphing or simply morphing. Morphing is the process of creating a composite face image, a morph, by digitally manipulating face images of different individuals, usually two. Under certain circumstances, the composite image looks like both contributors and can be used by one of them (accomplice) to issue an ID document. The other contributor (criminal) can then use the ID document for illegal activities, which is a serious security vulnerability. So far, researchers have focused on automated morphing detection solutions. Our main contribution is the evaluation of the effectiveness and limitations of two image forensics methods in visualizing morphing related traces in digital images. Visualization of morphing traces is important as it can be used as hard evidence in forensic context (i.e., court cases) and lead to the development of morphing algorithm specific feature extraction strategies for automated detection. To evaluate the two methods, we created morphs using two state-of-the-art morphing algorithms, complying with the face image requirements of three currently existing online passport application processes. We found that complementary use of the visualization methods can reveal morphing related traces. We also show how some application process-specific requirements affect visualization results by testing three likely morphing attack scenarios with varied image processing parameters and propose application process amendments that would make forensic image analysis more reliable.
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spelling doaj.art-c92aae7859e84018bc353dbd02880a4c2023-06-21T08:34:00ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Computer Science2624-98982023-06-01510.3389/fcomp.2023.981933981933Visualizing landmark-based face morphing traces on digital imagesIlias BatskosLuuk SpreeuwersRaymond VeldhuisThis paper focuses on an identity sharing scheme known as face image morphing or simply morphing. Morphing is the process of creating a composite face image, a morph, by digitally manipulating face images of different individuals, usually two. Under certain circumstances, the composite image looks like both contributors and can be used by one of them (accomplice) to issue an ID document. The other contributor (criminal) can then use the ID document for illegal activities, which is a serious security vulnerability. So far, researchers have focused on automated morphing detection solutions. Our main contribution is the evaluation of the effectiveness and limitations of two image forensics methods in visualizing morphing related traces in digital images. Visualization of morphing traces is important as it can be used as hard evidence in forensic context (i.e., court cases) and lead to the development of morphing algorithm specific feature extraction strategies for automated detection. To evaluate the two methods, we created morphs using two state-of-the-art morphing algorithms, complying with the face image requirements of three currently existing online passport application processes. We found that complementary use of the visualization methods can reveal morphing related traces. We also show how some application process-specific requirements affect visualization results by testing three likely morphing attack scenarios with varied image processing parameters and propose application process amendments that would make forensic image analysis more reliable.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomp.2023.981933/fullmorphingforensicsvisualizationidentitydetection
spellingShingle Ilias Batskos
Luuk Spreeuwers
Raymond Veldhuis
Visualizing landmark-based face morphing traces on digital images
Frontiers in Computer Science
morphing
forensics
visualization
identity
detection
title Visualizing landmark-based face morphing traces on digital images
title_full Visualizing landmark-based face morphing traces on digital images
title_fullStr Visualizing landmark-based face morphing traces on digital images
title_full_unstemmed Visualizing landmark-based face morphing traces on digital images
title_short Visualizing landmark-based face morphing traces on digital images
title_sort visualizing landmark based face morphing traces on digital images
topic morphing
forensics
visualization
identity
detection
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcomp.2023.981933/full
work_keys_str_mv AT iliasbatskos visualizinglandmarkbasedfacemorphingtracesondigitalimages
AT luukspreeuwers visualizinglandmarkbasedfacemorphingtracesondigitalimages
AT raymondveldhuis visualizinglandmarkbasedfacemorphingtracesondigitalimages