The researchers at Cisco Talos have managed to break into devices that are secured with biometric authentication. According to a new research published by Paul Rascagneres and Vitor Ventura, the fingerprints created using 3D printing technology and textile glue, can beat fingerprint authentication on a variety of phones, laptops, and padlocks.
By using several materials and of different budgets, the researchers conducted several experiments to trick capacitive, optical and ultrasonic sensors.
The researchers stated that on various tests, they achieved an average of 80 percent success rate while using the fake fingerprints, where the sensors were bypassed at least once.
A 3D printer was used to create molds, then the fake fingerprints were cast onto materials that included silicon and fabric glue.
The researchers said that it took months and a liter of resin and that it wasn’t as easy as it was thought to be. They used publicly available fingerprints of nefarious gangster Al Capone.
The fake fingerprints however did not work on all the devices tested. Researchers could not access the Samsung A70 phone, the Lexar Jumpdrive Fingerprint F35, or the Verbatim Fingerprint Secure USB-encrypted pen drive.
But they managed to crack into an iPhone 8, Samsung S10, Huawei P30 Lite, MacBook Pro 2018, iPad 5th Gen, Samsung Note 9, Honor 7X, and an AICase Padlock.
Based on the expense, time, and effort that was taken to crack into devices protected by fingerprint authentication, the researchers came to a conclusion that this security measure is sufficient for the majority of the population.
They reported that for a regular user of fingerprint authentication, the advantages are evident and can be used. But when it comes to a high-profile user or if their device has a sensitive information it is advised to depend on strong passwords and token two-factor authentication.
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