Infrared detection system is widely used in aerospace, military reconnaissance and other fields due to its good concealment and strong penetration ability. However, the detection distance of the infrared detection system is far, and the target tends to be dim and small. The dim small target detection in infrared single frame images has always been a difficulty and research hotspot in the field of infrared detection. Based on the four aspects of filtering, visual saliency, image data structure and deep learning, the current single frame infrared dim target detection algorithms are reviewed in detail. Finally, the development of infrared dim small target detection technology is summarized and prospected.