Smartphones Can Be Hacked Using Fingerprints Left on a Glass

A team of researchers from Tencent Security X-Lab demonstrated at the GeekPwn 2019 event in Shanghai how a smartphone can be hacked using fingerprints left on a glass. Researcher Chen Yu scanned fingerprints from a glass using a phone app, and then, within 20 minutes, created a physical copy of the fingerprints capable of fooling smartphone or car fingerprint scanners.

“The hardware required for this attack cost a total of more than 1,000 yuan (about $140), and the equipment was just a single phone and an app,” the researcher explained to The Paper.

According to the researchers, they were the first to hack an ultrasonic fingerprint sensor—one of the most common types used in smartphones, along with capacitive and optical sensors.

Other Recent Fingerprint Sensor Vulnerabilities

Earlier this month, a British woman demonstrated how to trick the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor in the Samsung Galaxy S10. She bought a $3 gel screen protector and discovered that she could unlock the device with an unregistered finger. Soon after, her family members were also able to unlock the phone. Samsung has already released an update to fix this issue.

Additionally, in April of this year, a Reddit user with the nickname Darkshark managed to bypass a smartphone’s security system using a 3D model of a fingerprint.

Sources and Further Reading

• Other channels and partners