Learn what video injection attacks are, how fraudsters use them in remote IDV, and the best solutions to detect deepfakes, replays, and synthetic identities.
Remote identity verification (IDV) has become a cornerstone of digital onboarding and Know Your Customer (KYC) compliance. From opening a bank account online to verifying users in fintech apps, IDV enables businesses to serve customers faster and at scale without requiring physical presence.
But while remote verification is convenient and cost-effective, it also opens the door to sophisticated fraud tactics. One of the most concerning among these is the video injection attack—a technique used by fraudsters to impersonate someone or conceal their true identity by bypassing biometric checks.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore:
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What video injection attacks are and how they differ from traditional presentation attacks.
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The tools and methods fraudsters use to carry out these attacks.
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The common types of video injections, from replayed videos to deepfakes.
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Real-world examples showing the scale of the threat.
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Effective solutions and layered defenses businesses can deploy.
By the end, you’ll have a clear understanding of why video injection attacks matter in 2025 and how your organization can stay ahead of fraudsters.
What Is a Video Injection Attack?
The typical remote IDV flow includes two critical stages:
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Document authentication – The system validates a government-issued ID by analyzing its text, layout, and security features.
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Selfie verification – The system checks whether the person presenting the ID is real and whether their selfie matches the document photo.
This second stage, known as biometric verification, is meant to confirm two things:
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The user is a real, live human (not a photo, mask, or video).
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The identity claim is legitimate—the ID truly belongs to the person presenting it.
Fraudsters, however, have found ways to bypass this process. Traditional presentation attacks involve holding up printed photos, masks, or screens in front of the camera. But as verification technology has advanced, criminals have shifted to video injection attacks.
A video injection attack happens when a fraudster intercepts or hijacks the video stream meant to come from the user’s webcam or smartphone camera. Instead of capturing a real, live person, the verification system receives a fraudulent video stream—sometimes authentic but replayed, sometimes manipulated, and sometimes fully synthetic.
Because the injected stream enters the system “in place” of the camera feed, the fraud is harder to detect than when fake content is physically presented to the lens. This makes video injection a more complex, but also more effective, attack.
Why Do Fraudsters Use Video Injection Attacks?
The motivations behind video injection attack are often tied to financial gain or identity concealment:
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Impersonation – A fraudster may present a stolen ID card and inject a manipulated video that resembles the victim.
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Concealment – Someone on a watchlist or with a criminal background may try to hide their true identity by injecting synthetic or altered video feeds.
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Synthetic identity fraud – Criminals create entirely fake personas with forged documents and fabricated video feeds, often to open bank accounts, launder money, or apply for loans.
In every case, the attacker’s goal is the same: to trick the verification system into accepting a fraudulent identity as genuine.
Tools Fraudsters Use for Video Injection Attacks
Before injecting a fake feed, fraudsters must first gain control of the verification session. Surprisingly, many of the tools they exploit are common, legitimate software or hardware products designed for harmless uses like streaming or app testing. Here are the main ones:
1. Virtual Cameras
Virtual camera software is popular for streaming, online events, and video presentations. It lets users broadcast alternative video sources, such as pre-recorded clips, animations, or screen captures, in place of a physical webcam feed.
Fraudsters exploit this by:
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Renaming the virtual camera to look like a real one.
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Disabling all physical cameras and making the virtual feed the system’s default.
This allows them to inject a fraudulent stream seamlessly during a verification session.
2. Smartphone Emulators
Emulators replicate the functionality of Android or iOS devices. Developers use them to test apps without needing a physical phone.
Fraudsters, however, run IDV apps inside an emulator that can also simulate hardware like a camera. The verification system is tricked into believing it’s interacting with a genuine device, when in fact the feed is fake.
3. Malicious JavaScript Code
In browser-based IDV sessions, cameras and microphones are accessed through APIs controlled by JavaScript. Normally, this ensures secure, real-time interaction.
Skilled attackers inject malicious JavaScript into the environment to intercept and replace the live video feed before it reaches the verification server.
4. Video Sticks (USB Devices)
Video capture sticks are legitimate tools used for streaming, recording, or sharing content from devices like TVs or gaming consoles.
Fraudsters misuse these to reroute video sessions. For example, they may plug a stick into a PC and feed in a fraudulent video stream, replacing the webcam input entirely.
Common Types of Video Injection Attacks
Fraudsters can inject a variety of content depending on their objective. Here are the four most common categories:
1. Video Replays (Real Identity)
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Attackers replay a genuine video recording of a user.
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The footage may come from a stolen verification session or a video captured elsewhere.
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Because the video is real, it can sometimes bypass basic checks if the system doesn’t validate timing or motion.
2. Deepfake Overlays (Altered Identity)
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Using AI, attackers create deepfakes—hyper-realistic videos of a victim’s face.
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These may be animated from a single photo or generated to mimic natural expressions.
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Fraudsters overlay the fake face on their own video feed or inject it directly.
Deepfakes are particularly effective against scripted selfie checks (e.g., “blink twice” or “turn your head”), since attackers can pre-generate clips that follow the prompts.
3. Synthetic Video Streams (Fake Identity)
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Instead of copying a real person, criminals create entirely synthetic personas.
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These fake identities often come with forged documents and fabricated videos.
Real-world example: In early 2025, Vietnamese authorities exposed the country’s first case of AI-powered biometric fraud. A 14-member gang laundered nearly $38 million by generating fake facial scans from short video clips of recruited account holders. Authorities linked the fraud to 1,000 frozen bank accounts.
4. Mixed Injection Attacks
Most real-world attacks aren’t “pure.” Criminals may:
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Replay a genuine video but alter frames with deepfake overlays.
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Inject authentic footage while blending in synthetic elements.
These hybrid tactics blur the line between real and fake, making detection even more challenging.
How to Detect and Prevent Video Injection Attacks
With fraudsters constantly innovating, defending against video injection requires a multi-layered security strategy. Below are the essential safeguards every IDV system should include:
1. Advanced Liveness Detection
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Active liveness detection requires users to perform random, real-time actions (e.g., blinking, smiling, turning the head).
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Because the prompts are unpredictable, it’s much harder to fake them using pre-recorded or AI-generated videos.
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Advanced systems also analyze micro-expressions and motion dynamics to distinguish live humans from deepfakes.
2. Video Feed Integrity Checks
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Ensure the integrity of data transmitted from the user’s device to the server.
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Use end-to-end encryption to secure communication.
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Detect and block virtual cameras or other suspicious video sources.
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Monitor for timing anomalies that suggest the stream is being manipulated.
3. Deepfake Detection
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Deploy AI models trained on large datasets of real and fake content.
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These models spot subtle anomalies such as:
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Inconsistent lighting or shadows.
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Unnatural blending at facial edges.
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Irregular eye reflections.
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Suspiciously fast response to liveness prompts.
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4. Multi-Factor Verification
A robust IDV system should not rely on biometrics alone. Strong solutions combine:
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Document authentication (including electronic chip validation).
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Secondary biometrics like fingerprints or voice recognition.
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Database cross-checks against official records and watchlists.
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One-time passcodes (OTPs) sent via SMS or email to confirm contact details.
Each additional layer significantly increases the difficulty for attackers.
How KBY-AI Helps Prevent Video Injection Attacks
At KBY-AI, we provide end-to-end solutions that address the two most critical components of IDV:
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KBY-AI ID Document Recognition SDK – Authenticates government-issued IDs using advanced recognition and analysis of security features.
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KBY-AI Face SDK – Performs selfie verification with cutting-edge liveness detection to detect even sophisticated injection and presentation attacks.
Both solutions can be deployed on-premises and fully customized to integrate with your existing onboarding or compliance workflows.
Final Thoughts: The Future of IDV Security
Video injection attacks are no longer just theoretical—they’re happening now, and they’re getting more sophisticated with AI-powered deepfakes and synthetic identities. For businesses in banking, fintech, insurance, and e-commerce, ignoring this threat isn’t an option.
The solution lies in layered defenses that combine liveness detection, video integrity checks, deepfake detection, and multi-factor authentication. By implementing these measures, companies can protect both themselves and their customers from identity fraud.
KBY-AI stands ready to help organizations build fraud-resistant identity verification systems for 2025 and beyond. If you’d like to learn more about how our solutions can strengthen your IDV process, book a call with our team today.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) About Video Injection Attacks
1. What is a video injection attack in identity verification?
A video injection attack occurs when fraudsters replace the live feed from a webcam or smartphone camera with a fraudulent video stream. Instead of showing a real person, the verification system receives pre-recorded footage, deepfakes, or synthetic video content.
2. How do video injection attacks differ from presentation attacks?
Presentation attacks involve physically showing fake content to a camera (e.g., photos, masks, or screens). Video injection attacks are more advanced because they bypass the camera entirely and feed fake video streams directly into the verification pipeline.
3. What tools do fraudsters use for video injection?
Common tools include virtual cameras, smartphone emulators, malicious JavaScript code in browser sessions, and USB video capture devices. While these tools are often legitimate for streaming or testing, criminals misuse them to inject fake video feeds.
4. How can businesses detect and stop video injection attacks?
Businesses can defend against injection attacks with multi-layered strategies such as:
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Advanced liveness detection to confirm real-time human presence.
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Video feed integrity checks to prevent camera hijacking.
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AI-powered deepfake detection.
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Multi-factor verification, including document authentication and OTPs.
5. Why are video injection attacks a growing concern in 2025?
With the rise of AI-generated deepfakes and synthetic identities, fraudsters now have more powerful tools to trick verification systems. Video injection attacks are becoming more common in fintech, banking, and e-commerce, where remote onboarding is widespread. Businesses must act now to stay ahead of these threats.
Conclusion
Video injection attacks represent one of the fastest-growing threats to remote identity verification. Unlike simple presentation attacks, they exploit legitimate tools and advanced AI to inject fraudulent streams, making them far harder to detect. From replayed videos to deepfake overlays and fully synthetic identities, these attacks allow fraudsters to impersonate victims, hide their true identity, or create fake customers for financial gain.
The good news is that organizations are not powerless. By combining advanced liveness detection, video feed integrity checks, deepfake detection, and multi-factor verification, businesses can build a strong defense against even the most sophisticated injection attacks.
As digital onboarding and remote KYC become standard across banking, fintech, and e-commerce, investing in resilient IDV technology is no longer optional—it is essential for protecting customers, preventing fraud, and maintaining regulatory compliance.
Solutions like the KBY-AI Face SDK and ID Document Recognition SDK provide businesses with customizable, on-premises tools to detect video injections, stop deepfakes, and verify identities with confidence.
The future of digital trust depends on fighting identity fraud today. Companies that act now to strengthen their defenses will be best positioned to grow securely in an increasingly digital world.
