Samsung Galaxy S10 “Vault-Like Security” Beaten By A $3 Screen Protector
Credit to Author: Edward Ongweso Jr| Date: Thu, 17 Oct 2019 19:12:28 +0000
On Thursday, Samsung said it would patch a huge security flaw that could potentially allow anyone to bypass fingerprint recognition on the Galaxy S10 smartphone, the BBC reported.
The British Sun reported on Monday that a British woman discovered any fingerprint unlocked her phone after fitting it with a gel screen protector she bought on eBay. "This means if anyone got hold of my phone they can access it and within moments could be into the financial apps and be transferring funds,” the woman told the British newspaper.
According to Reuters, Samsung issued a notice warning that patterns on some screen protectors that come with silicone phone cases are recognized by the fingerprint scanner.
Samsung spokespeople did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Already, South Korea's online-only KaKaoBank has reportedly told customers to avoid using the Galaxy S10 or its fingerprint-recognition option as a login until the issue was resolved.
In February, Android Central reported that fingerprint recognition on the Galaxy S10 might not work properly with tempered glass screen protectors that could create air gaps.
This isn’t the first time that Samsung’s Galaxy S10’s fingerprint security has been called into question, either. Previously, hackers have shown that its “vault-like security” can be broken.
What Samsung hailed would be a "revolutionary new biometric authentication feature" that would provide "invisible yet vault-like security” has apparently been beaten by a screen protector that costs less than $4.
This article originally appeared on VICE US.