A lone security researcher just gave Samsung’s mobile phone cybersecurity technology the finger. According to a video posted on the Imgur site on Friday, it’s possible to bypass the biometrics on the new Galaxy S10 range in just a few minutes, using a 3D-printed fingerprint.
Released in February, almost every phone in the Galaxy S10 range features a fingerprint reader under the screen, contrasting with the previous generation of Galaxy S phones which put it on the back of the device. The only exception is the S10 Essential, which has a capacitive resistor on the side of the phone. Capacitive technology is what most modern non-display fingerprint sensors use. It measures the electrical resistance between the tiny ridges and valleys of your fingerprint as they contact the sensor, creating a 2D image of it. Under-display sensors take a different approach, using ultrasonic technology to bounce sound waves off the user’s finger. This creates a 3D ultrasound image of your fingerprint, containing information about the depth of its ridges and valleys. Cool, right? Not according to Darkshark, an anonymous researcher who appeared to
show themselves unlocking a Samsung S10 using a 3D printed-fingerprint.
