Samsung Galaxy S8 Iris Scanner technology can be easily hacked though the process may not always be feasible

The Samsung Galaxy S8 Iris Scanner can easily be hacked, even though the South Korean tech giant wants users to think that this technology on its new flagship is absolutely unbeatable. The security world knows this is not the case.

Jan “Starbug” Krissler, security researcher at the Chaos Computer Club in Berlin, has hacked into the Iris Scanning technology with just a printer, contact lens and a camera. He used a Sony digital camera in the night mode and captured an image of his friend’s eyes. He printed a life-size image of one eye then glued contact lens on the photo for depth. The smartphone’s Iris technology could not identify the difference between the owner’s actual eyes and this makeshift eye. The hacker has thus gained full access to the phone, including Samsung Pay.

While this sounds scary, the steps are nearly not feasible, as a hacker has to get very close to the user’s eyes to take a clear snap. There are numerous ways of hacking into a smartphone, although they are not always feasible. Moreover, the hacker would need a high-quality printer and physical access to the phone. It is unclear whether Samsung is doing something to address this issue. In fact, the company does not seem to be on the move, as it does not consider this a threat at all.

“We are aware of the issue, but we would like to assure our customers that the iris scanning technology in the Galaxy S8 has been developed through rigorous testing to provide a high level of accuracy and prevent attempts to compromise its security, such as images of a person's iris. If there is a potential vulnerability or the advent of a new method that challenges our efforts to ensure security at any time, we will respond as quickly as possible to resolve the issue,” Samsung told Gizmodo Australia.

There are numerous ways to hack a smartphone. Starbug is even famous for bypassing Apple’s TouchID fingerprint scanner. It hacked into the technology within 48 hours of its release. Another hacker has reportedly hacked into Samsung Galaxy S8’s facial recognition software with only a photo, the same day the smartphone was released. Experts, however, believe that Samsung should be doubly alert this time as it does not want another Galaxy Note 7 debacle. Stay tuned on IBT AU for more updates on Samsung devices and hacking technology.