iPhone's fingerprint tech hacked. (already)

by Glidefan on: 09/23/2013 10:02 AM | source: | 34 comment(s)

By a European hacker group: "A fingerprint of the phone user, photographed from a glass surface, was enough to create a fake finger that could unlock an iPhone 5s secured with TouchID" as claimed by the Chaos Computer Club.

The group also demonstrated a video with the hack that as claimed by them is a simple one, if you already have the fingerprint and is based on previous techniques for spoofing fingerprints.

"First, the fingerprint of the enrolled user is photographed with 2400 dpi resolution. The resulting image is then cleaned up, inverted and laser printed with 1200 dpi onto transparent sheet with a thick toner setting. Finally, pink latex milk or white woodglue is smeared into the pattern created by the toner onto the transparent sheet. After it cures, the thin latex sheet is lifted from the sheet, breathed on to make it a tiny bit moist and then placed onto the sensor to unlock the phone."

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Speed Weed
Senior Member

Posts: 1066
Joined: 2011-12-04

#4660611 Posted on: 09/23/2013 11:56 PM

You just can't keep a committed hacker down at all.
Still stunned at how much personal details some people commit to a SmartPhone, which is obviously often a lot smarter than the owner.
My Sammy is more of a media centre which I use to send the occasional text or make a call.

Koniakki
Senior Member

Posts: 2843
Joined: 2009-09-15

#4660666 Posted on: 09/24/2013 02:06 AM

You are pretty spot on with the second point, but definitely not with the first.

I have a 5S right in front of me and the fingerprint sensor is insanely fast. You tap the home button and it basically skips the lockscreen and you are in your phone. Tap it with the wrong finger and it will tell you to try again, so it is in fact reading my finger. It is miles faster than typing in a passcode.

Although I don't have a hands-on experience with it, almost all the videos I have seen with it, is indeed a lot faster that typing a 4 digit pass.

Mojojoe
Senior Member

Posts: 121
Joined: 2011-10-09

#4660887 Posted on: 09/24/2013 12:03 PM

Although I don't have a hands-on experience with it, almost all the videos I have seen with it, is indeed a lot faster that typing a 4 digit pass.

And this is how it should have been marketed; as a quicker, more convenient unlock method. It's a shame that some marketing guy who probably watched a bunch of 80's sci-fi and decided to promote this as an ultra secure breakthrough technology while the reality is that it is neither.
I am a fan of this and facial recognition, but understand that both pale in comparison to other methods when it comes to securing a device and should only be expected to offer convenience.

WindtalkerCS
Senior Member

Posts: 450
Joined: 2004-05-12

#4660969 Posted on: 09/24/2013 03:01 PM

They didn't? If you watch the Apple press that is exactly how the marketed it. It's just the media and fanboys that rustled up the rest.

They basically came out and said a lot of you don't use passcodes because it's a hassle, now it's less of a hassle.

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