Samsung Galaxy S5 fingerprint scanner hacked

Samsung's newly released Galaxy S5 phone sports a fingerprint scanner embedded in the home button that works well but unfortunately, like iPhone 5S' TouchID before it, can be tricked with a mould of the user's fingerprint. "Samsung's implementation of fingerprint authentication leaves much to be desired," researchers from Berlin-based security firm Security Research Labs (SRLabs) noted, and demonstrated how these flaws can be used to expose users' devices, data, and even bank accounts to thieves or other attackers. The researchers used the same fingerprint mould they employed to fool iPhone 5s' TouchID last year. The spoof was made under lab conditions, they noted, but is based on a camera phone photo of an unprocessed latent print lifted off a smartphone screen. <more>