Hacking iPhone 5s Fingerprint Scanner & TouchID

The new iPhone 5s is an interesting device. Not only it is one of the fastest smartphones around, it does have a fingerprint scanner which combines with TouchID to provide users with more data security. Did you know that your fingerprint can be faked and used to hack your phone? The guys at Chaos Computer Club has managed to do just that:

First, the fingerprint of the enroled user is photographed with 2400 dpi resolution. The resulting image is then cleaned up, inverted and laser printed with 1200 dpi onto transparent sheet with a thick toner setting. Finally, pink latex milk or white woodglue is smeared into the pattern created by the toner onto the transparent sheet. After it cures, the thin latex sheet is lifted from the sheet, breathed on to make it a tiny bit moist and then placed onto the sensor to unlock the phone. This process has been used with minor refinements and variations against the vast majority of fingerprint sensors on the market.

The process is not as simple as it sounds for most folks. But hackers will always find a way to get around security measures such as the TouchID system. We are going to see even more innovation in this area now that Apple has gotten involved though.