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Apple's Touch ID already bypassed with established 'fake finger' technique

Apple's Touch ID already bypassed with established 'fake finger' technique | Mobile Photography | Scoop.it

A hacker group in Germany claims to have defeated Apple's new Touch ID biometric security system by using a modified fingerprint lifting and "fake finger" creation technique. 


According to a detailed walkthrough of the bypass provided by the group's biometrics hacking team, the iPhone 5s' Touch ID hardware is, in effect, merely a higher resolution version of existing sensors. This means the system can be defeated using common fingerprint lifting techniques, albeit at a more refined level.

"In reality, Apple's sensor has just a higher resolution compared to the sensors so far. So we only needed to ramp up the resolution of our fake", said a CCC hacker nicknamed Starbug. "As we have said now for more than years, fingerprints should not be used to secure anything. You leave them everywhere, and it is far too easy to make fake fingers out of lifted prints."

While the process is somewhat complex, the thinking behind it is straightforward. In this case, a high-resolution 2400 dpi photo of a user's fingerprint was harvested from a glass surface using graphite dust or cyanoacrylate (the main ingredient in Super Glue) and a camera. The resulting image was cleaned up and inverted with photo editing software, then laser printed at 1200 dpi onto a transparent sheet.

To create the fake fingerprint, pink latex milk or white wood glue is laid over the printout and allowed to set. Once cured, the dummy can be peeled off the transparency, breathed on to produce a thin layer of moisture, and applied to a finger. This will grant access to a Touch ID protected device, CCC claims.

Kitty Fisher's insight:

Well fingerprint technology is not foolproof. With this in mind, it's good to know that the biometrics part of the phone may not be its best attribute but there always seems to be som kind of flaw once a new phone comes out. Was I shocked, no not really? It was just a matter of time before someone tried something out and these hackers in Germany, did just that.

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Apple Unveils New iPhone Camera with a Larger Sensor and Slow-Motion Video

Apple Unveils New iPhone Camera with a Larger Sensor and Slow-Motion Video | Mobile Photography | Scoop.it

Today is a big day for tech sites and Apple fanboys alike because it's the day that the Cupertino-based company announces their newest iPhones - the more affordable iPhone 5C and the more capable iPhone 5S - and as you might expect given the smartphone camera culture, the more expensive of the two came with some significant camera improvements.

The iPhone 5 (and 5C), the sensor boasts a 15% larger active sensor area, and peers out at the world through an all-new Apple-designed five-element f/2.2 lens — that translates into a reported 33% increase in light sensitivity.

iPhone 5C and 5S has a special "True Tone" flash that uses a white and an amber LED to yield the perfect intensity and color temperature.

Finally, the camera’s video capabilities have also been improved. You can now shoot slow-motion 720p video at 120fps, and go back in-phone to select where you want your video slow-mo and where you’d prefer regular speed.

Kitty Fisher's insight:

Today is the day Apple has released the iPhone 5C and the iPhone 5S. While one is more affordable and the other has a more expensive taste, but it also comes with some fancy features. And now we have read about the improvements but we will have to wait until the reviews come in. Knowing that one is more affordable has it's highlights, but my question is which one will late longer?

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