Cracks can be formed due to the manufacturing technique, loading, service environment reasons, which trigger the fracture failure of engineering materials in the manufacturing and service. Fracture image analysis of engineering materials constitutes a critical aspect within the domain of failure analysis. The current research on intelligent recognition technology for crack images has emerged as a focal point in the field of intelligent diagnosis related to equipment fracture failures. This area of study holds significant importance for analyzing the causes of equipment failures and implementing effective failure prevention strategies. This paper primarily examines the advancements in intelligent recognition technology for crack images. The principles of both one-stage and two-stage target detection algorithms are delineated, along with the advancements in crack quantitative analysis technology based on intelligent image recognition. The advantages and disadvantages of the crack intelligent recognition technology are analyzed in the direction of the future development. Finally, we will explore the application of crack image intelligent analysis technology within the realm of failure analysis.