How Apple's Touch ID Fingerprint Sensor Was Circumvented [Video]

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Posted September 25, 2013 at 5:30pm by Shalom Levytam

Starbug of the 'Chaos Computer Club' has posted a video that demonstrates how he was able to bypass Apple's Touch ID fingerprint sensor using a fake finger.

It "was way easier than expected," Starbug told ArsTechnica in an e-mail. "I thought it would take at least a week and some fancy chip/bus hacking." It didn't require either.

In an interview with Ars, Starbug told the site that figuring out how to beat the system took 30 hours; however, now that it's figured out, the process would take about half an hour.

It took me nearly 30 hours from unpacking the iPhone to a [bypass] that worked reliably. With better preparation it would have taken approximately half an hour. I spent significantly more time trying to find out information on the technical specification of the sensor than I actually spent bypassing it.

I was very disappointed, as I hoped to hack on it for a week or two. There was no challenge at all; the attack was very straightforward and trivial. The Touch ID is nevertheless a very reliable fingerprint system. However, users should only consider it an increase in convenience and not security.

Starbug has won the Is Touch ID Hacked Yet competition and is donating the pledged funds to Raumfahrtagentur, a spinoff from CCC-Berlin.

Check out the video below or hit the link to read the full interview.

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Trucker - October 4, 2013 at 12:30am

I got my ip5s SG 64g Monday. put a case on it and never touched the id sensor

TheRealNoGoodNick - October 4, 2013 at 12:43am

Then how to you return to home menu?

Trucker - October 4, 2013 at 12:53am

I can't believe you asked that. Maybe the pad over the home button. lol

Trucker - October 4, 2013 at 12:54am

I bought the waterproof Lifeproof case at verizon

Najackbair - September 26, 2013 at 2:00am

I'm looking at my iphone and I don't ever have clean, non-smeared thumbprints on my screen that someone could scan. What this video has shown me is that the biometric security on the iPhone is actually really good

Techno - September 25, 2014 at 12:05am

@Jack black: in the real world, it would be multiple fingerprints smeared on top of other smeared finger finger prints. The video shows a man with a clean glass and one specific finger print imputed for the entertainment of this video. Unreal and does not apply real life scenarios. You have a better chance stealing my house keys, putting it back in my pocket and determining where I live. By then the secondary verification will kick in and my locator (Magnum) will find you.

prostovanka - September 25, 2013 at 10:39pm

They haven't broken the security. All they did was managed to replicate some one else finger print. After 48 Hours iPhone will not accept fingerprint and accept only the secret code and if phone has rebooted it also will not accept print but only the code. There are plenty of things set in place to protect your device. In most cases, most people won't be able to do this. You really have to have the tools and the know how.

Tom - September 25, 2013 at 7:16pm

and you have to steal fingerprint only once. then you can open his next iphone too :(

TK2-SS - September 25, 2013 at 8:04pm

Oh sure! it's so easy! Let me see you hack a random person's iPhone.

ExeciN - September 26, 2013 at 9:50am

What about targeted attacks instead of random attacks?

TK2-SS - September 26, 2013 at 5:11pm

What about it? You still have to stalk that person. And watch everything he touches and hoping it's non-porous. You have to then get or buy that item he touched. Then you will have to lift that print using a fine powder. And lastly, you now have to make a mold of the print. Just to find out the print was smudge. LOL!!!

Tom - September 25, 2013 at 7:15pm

just 3 attempts, no 5 (see the end of the vid). but this is a real deal breaker. just think about of a phone of a big guy. its much easier to break into than with the passcode. you can turn on Flight Mode from the lock screen (so no remote shutdown or wipe or anything), then you have unlimited time to hack these fingerprints. this whole thing seems to be a big own goal for me.

TK2-SS - September 25, 2013 at 6:40pm

Apple never said it is impossible to hack. It may be easy for the pro. Regardless, the phone will render useless to your typical thief. Unless they follow you and try to somehow get a clean trace of your finger-print.

Ev guy - September 25, 2013 at 5:57pm

Ok "easy" maybe if you have all that equipment that guy had and assuming you had the right print then yes. But seems like a lot of shit to go thru just to get into the phone. Just like anything else if you want it bad enough there is always a way. Also you only get 5 tries and then you have to put in the pass code anyway. So I'm not losing too much sleep over this. Lol

ExeciN - September 26, 2013 at 9:53am

Dude, his equipment was a computer, a scanner, basic PCB etching stuff and wood glue. Anyone into electronics just needs the glue and the scanner.

Cellularry - September 25, 2013 at 5:53pm

To buy all these equipment is more expensive then the iPhone 5s itself

Jack Black - September 25, 2013 at 5:49pm

See, this technique has been around for years; this is not surprising or new. If you want to open an iPhone with a fingerprint, you can; it's not that hard.

gamerscul9870 - September 26, 2013 at 12:07am

But was it ever integrated into a button before?