Experts Successfully Bypass iPhone X Face ID Security on First Try

Vietnamese cybersecurity researchers have managed to trick the iPhone X’s Face ID biometric identification system using a specially crafted mask.

During the launch of the new iPhone X in September 2017, Apple’s Vice President Phil Schiller claimed that the Face ID system, powered by artificial intelligence, could distinguish a real human face from a mask. However, specialists from the Vietnamese cybersecurity company Bkav have proven otherwise by successfully bypassing the system.

The experts were able to unlock an iPhone X on their first attempt. To achieve this, they created a mask of an employee who was registered in the test phone’s Face ID system. The mask was made using printed two-dimensional images of the eyes, a hand-crafted silicone nose, and other facial features, all mounted on a frame produced with a popular 3D printer. Additionally, the cheeks and the area around the face were given “special treatment” to further deceive the system. In total, the mask cost about $150 to make.

While it is noted that ordinary users would find it difficult to exploit this vulnerability, professionals with knowledge of smartphone security systems would have little trouble carrying out such an attack.