Fingerprintgate Woes May Hound Apple As Security Expert Reveals Fingerprint Recognition System Of iPhone 6 Could Be Hacked Using Fake Prints
Apple's successful roll out of the much-anticipated iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus could be short-lived given the number of glitches that hounded the Cupertino-based tech giant.
First, there was the bending phone now called #bendgate. Then it was followed by the iOS 8 glitches.
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Even as Apple continues to squelch the bad press generated by reports that the aluminium body of its flagship devices is weak, citing that there are so far only 9 complaints, the tech giant may be dousing another viral nightmare soon.
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It could possibly be called fingerprintgate because its much-vaunted new auto encryption system using the fingerprint unlock system could be hacked, said Marc Rogers, chief security officer of Lookout Technology, reports Hallels.com.
Rogers said the iPhone 6 could be hacked by using fake fingerprints, which could be made by using Elmer's glue and lifting the fingerprint of an iPhone users from any objects touched. He said techie hackers could get from a research lab measure of the thickness and correct position to match the fingerprint to be copied.
Rogers was one of the first researchers to hack the TouchID system of the iPhone 5S in 2013 using a low-budget method that fakes fingerprints. He used it again for iPhone 6 and succeeded in hacking the new device.
A year earlier, Tsunetomo Mastumobo, a technology engineering professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, coated a finger with a gummy substance that he used to lift and replicate fingerprints.
Rogers wrote in a blog post, quoted by CNET, "Sadly there has been little in the way of measurable improvement in the sensor between these two devices ...Fake fingerprints created using my previous technique were able to readily fool both devices."
He challenged Apple to improve its TouchID sensor to make it hack-proof. One way is to use the timeout function wherein the user must provide the hidden pass-code within a defined time frame, plus the fingerprint.
CNET pointed out that the same TouchID technology that has been proven so easy to hack is the same security feature of Apple Pay for iPhone 6's new near-field communication chip, along with a credit card management software. Apple Pay is expected to be available for public use in October.
Rogers warned that hackable technology could be tapped by criminals since credit card fraud has become easier by just using an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus.
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