Nokia 9 Fingerprint Scanner Vulnerability: Gum Wrapper Can Unlock Device

On April 18, 2019, Nokia developers released a problematic operating system update (v4.22) for the Nokia 9 PureView. After installing this update, many users reported that the in-display fingerprint scanner began accepting not only unregistered fingerprints but also unrelated objects—such as a gum wrapper, a coin, or even gloves—for authentication.

Ironically, this update was intended to improve the performance of the in-display fingerprint scanner, so users wouldn’t have to press their finger against the screen with excessive force. However, it appears that similar issues with the scanner existed even before the release of this ill-fated update. For example, a Twitter user shared a video showing the scanner accepting unregistered fingerprints without the v4.22 update installed. This suggests that the latest update only made an existing false positive problem worse.

So far, Nokia representatives have not commented on the situation, likely due to the Easter holiday weekend. In the meantime, users experiencing these issues are advised to switch to alternative authentication methods, such as PIN codes, passwords, or facial recognition.