Hanoi police warn of data leak risks from QR code photobooth services

Police said the services, which are increasingly used at shopping centers, events, and public spaces, allow users to take photos, print them and download digital copies via QR codes linked to online storage.

Some systems contain security flaws that could allow unauthorized access to personal images, potentially exposing them publicly without users' knowledge.

According to police and cybersecurity experts, certain platforms generate access links using simple or sequential identifiers without proper authentication, creating a vulnerability that could allow users to alter links and access others' data.

Such flaws can be exploited without advanced technical skills and may enable large-scale collection of personal images.

Leaked data could include photos of individuals, families and children, and may be misused for identity fraud or other illegal activities, especially as artificial intelligence and facial recognition technologies develop.

Police advised users not to share photobooth image links publicly, to avoid using services without clear operators, and to download and delete images from systems where possible.

They also warned users to be cautious when scanning unfamiliar QR codes, which may lead to malicious or fraudulent websites.