Pixelated Video Isn't Secure: A $50 Bounty and the Power of Reverse Engineering
2025-04-15
A YouTuber pixelated a section of a video showing a folder's contents and offered a $50 bounty for anyone who could decipher it. Within a day, three individuals successfully recovered the information using techniques involving TensorFlow and other tools. This experiment demonstrates that simple pixelation is not a secure method for concealing information, especially in moving videos. AI-assisted reverse engineering makes it surprisingly easy to de-pixelate. The YouTuber concludes that solid color masks are a better solution for hiding sensitive data.
Tech
video security