Hackers Circumvent Apple's Touch ID Fingerprint Sensor Using a Printed Finger [Video]

The Chaos Computer Club has successfully bypassed the biometric security of the Apple Touch ID fingerprint sensor using a photograph of a fingerprint to create a fake finger.

According to the hacking team, "fingerprint biometrics is unsuitable as access control method and should be avoided."

The team detailed the steps they took to bypass Apple's new security measure.


The method follows the steps outlined in this how-to with materials that can be found in almost every household: 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.

"We hope that this finally puts to rest the illusions people have about fingerprint biometrics. It is plain stupid to use something that you can't change and that you leave everywhere every day as a security token", said Frank Rieger, spokesperson of the CCC. "The public should no longer be fooled by the biometrics industry with false security claims. Biometrics is fundamentally a technology designed for oppression and control, not for securing everyday device access."

Check out the video below to see a demonstration of how the Touch ID fingerprint sensor can be tricked.

Read More [via Tzvi]