Samsung admits a screen protector defeats Galaxy S10 fingerprint sensor

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Comments

  • Reply 21 of 65
    netmage said:
    That explanation is interesting but doesn’t explain how the same screen protector unlocked her friend’s phone. 
    Sure it does. Her friend's finger oil is on the fingerprint sensing area on her phone. After applying the screen protector, it too is entombed.

    How does oil simulate ridges? The whole point of an ultrasonic sensor is that it isn’t supposed to be fooled by images since it can measure the depth of your ridges.
    That is the point of any fingerprint sensor, yes. But yet, here we are.
    So is it standard practice/common for Samsung users to NOT clean the screen before putting on screen protectors? (One woman and her friend with the same issue)  Seems unlikely to me, but I'm an iPhone user.

    netmagewatto_cobra
  • Reply 22 of 65
    sflocalsflocal Posts: 6,095member
    If this happened to an iPhone, the media would crucify Apple and class-action lawsuits would be lined up.

    But because Samsung (and Android in general) being the junk that it is, Samsung once again gets a free pass.  Shameful.

    How did this not come up during development?  Just proves that Samsung puts half-baked products out and worries about the problems later.
    StrangeDaysmacpluspluschaickacornchipwatto_cobra
  • Reply 23 of 65
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,213member
    sflocal said:

    How did this not come up during development?  
    Even thousands of beta devices will miss finding that flaw discovered when millions of devices get into the end-consumers hands. There's been several stories on AI in just the the past few months about various bugs/problems in Apple software or products that some members here will proclaim should have been caught in development.

    As long as this Samsung one can be quickly addressed via an update rather than languishing as some bugs do it's really no different is it? (I'm probably no more Samsung fan than you are BTW)
    edited October 2019 muthuk_vanalingamcy_starkman
  • Reply 24 of 65
    MplsPMplsP Posts: 3,931member
    gatorguy said:
    maestro64 said:
    Does anyone else see an issue with Sansung tech being able to log into the phone and take control of it and modify setting. It looks like Samsung/Andriod has backdoors into the phone similar to a PC. 
    You mean software and operating system updates? Heck Apple does those. I believe in a worst case scenario Apple can still access your personal phone and remove a particularly egregious piece of malware masquerading as an app.  What's the issue?
    From the article , "The man in customer services took control of the phone remotely and went into all the settings and finally admitted it looked like a security breach." - this is more than just an automatic software update; it's a remote user have access to the settings of the phone. Apple can remotely delete software but that's it. They can't log onto your phone and access settings.
    netmageAppleExposedStrangeDayschaickaroundaboutnowwatto_cobra
  • Reply 25 of 65
    sdw2001sdw2001 Posts: 18,016member
    I am literally laughing out loud right now.  This is a security breach and "fail" of EPIC proportions.  It may be the absolute worst vulnerability I have ever seen with a technology product.  It would be like getting root access to your Mac by putting a piece of tape over the camera, or saying "bloody mary" three times to defeat voice recognition. The worse part is until Samsung can figure out a patch, ALL owners of the devices are vulnerable.  Any person with malicious intent can buy a gel protector and grab the phone.  It sounds like it's almost guaranteed to unlock.  And why wouldn't it?  You're going to put your finger over the fingerprint area, ESPECIALLY if you don't have protector.  

    Good lord.  



    StrangeDayswatto_cobra
  • Reply 26 of 65
    Wow, if iPhones did this, it would be the end of the world. But Samsung can even have a phone that blows up and it's just business as usual...
    Really? because iOS 13 was found to have a lockscreen bypass issue that went pretty well under the radar as well as the Apple issue whereby when updating the credit card used for iTunes payments users had someone else's billing details exposed to them but sure, the world would end on an Apple security issue...
  • Reply 27 of 65
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    BxBorn said:
    Wow, if iPhones did this, it would be the end of the world. But Samsung can even have a phone that blows up and it's just business as usual...
    Really? because iOS 13 was found to have a lockscreen bypass issue that went pretty well under the radar as well as the Apple issue whereby when updating the credit card used for iTunes payments users had someone else's billing details exposed to them but sure, the world would end on an Apple security issue…
    I missed that. Can you link to an article that shows that iOS 13 will give you bypass the security to give you full access to someone's iPhone?
    cy_starkmanStrangeDayspscooter63watto_cobra
  • Reply 28 of 65
    coolfactorcoolfactor Posts: 2,243member
    netmage said:
    That explanation is interesting but doesn’t explain how the same screen protector unlocked her friend’s phone. 
    Sure it does. Her friend's finger oil is on the fingerprint sensing area on her phone. After applying the screen protector, it too is entombed.

    How does oil simulate ridges? The whole point of an ultrasonic sensor is that it isn’t supposed to be fooled by images since it can measure the depth of your ridges.
    That is the point of any fingerprint sensor, yes. But yet, here we are.
    So is it standard practice/common for Samsung users to NOT clean the screen before putting on screen protectors? (One woman and her friend with the same issue)  Seems unlikely to me, but I'm an iPhone user.


    Why anyone would use a screen protector in this day and age is beyond me. They, or at least non-glass ones, just degrade the user experience.
  • Reply 29 of 65
    1348513485 Posts: 347member
    I look forward to Joanna Stern's exhaustive investigation into this, with perhaps latex prostate/rectal fingers. Much like the Face ID in-depth with masks and costumes and parting hair on a different side.

    Yeah, as if.
    netmagecy_starkmanStrangeDayswatto_cobra
  • Reply 30 of 65
    netmagenetmage Posts: 314member
    netmage said:
    That explanation is interesting but doesn’t explain how the same screen protector unlocked her friend’s phone. 
    Sure it does. Her friend's finger oil is on the fingerprint sensing area on her phone. After applying the screen protector, it too is entombed.
    Since this is an in-screen scanner, it seems unlikely to have a well preserved fingerprint instead of a smudge from using the touchscreen, but this line from another article says it worked with an invalid fingerprint on the screen:
     failing to unlock with an untrained fingerprint as they should, but then, when the user places a clear silicone phone case over the top of the sensor, that finger can unlock the phone”
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 31 of 65
    yojimbo007yojimbo007 Posts: 1,165member
    Do they even test their products in real world applications? First the massive debacle with the fold and now this....In your face obvious issues totally neglected. !
    StrangeDayswatto_cobra
  • Reply 32 of 65
    hexclockhexclock Posts: 1,254member
    Soli said:
    BxBorn said:
    Wow, if iPhones did this, it would be the end of the world. But Samsung can even have a phone that blows up and it's just business as usual...
    Really? because iOS 13 was found to have a lockscreen bypass issue that went pretty well under the radar as well as the Apple issue whereby when updating the credit card used for iTunes payments users had someone else's billing details exposed to them but sure, the world would end on an Apple security issue…
    I missed that. Can you link to an article that shows that iOS 13 will give you bypass the security to give you full access to someone's iPhone?
    Here’s one link. It happened in beta, so maybe it’s been corrected. 

    http://www.iphonehacks.com/2019/09/ios-13-exploit-bypass-lockscreen.html

  • Reply 33 of 65
    hexclockhexclock Posts: 1,254member
    netmage said:
    That explanation is interesting but doesn’t explain how the same screen protector unlocked her friend’s phone. 
    Sure it does. Her friend's finger oil is on the fingerprint sensing area on her phone. After applying the screen protector, it too is entombed.

    How does oil simulate ridges? The whole point of an ultrasonic sensor is that it isn’t supposed to be fooled by images since it can measure the depth of your ridges.
    That is the point of any fingerprint sensor, yes. But yet, here we are.
    So is it standard practice/common for Samsung users to NOT clean the screen before putting on screen protectors? (One woman and her friend with the same issue)  Seems unlikely to me, but I'm an iPhone user.


    Why anyone would use a screen protector in this day and age is beyond me. They, or at least non-glass ones, just degrade the user experience.
    ? Not really. 
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 34 of 65
    hexclock said:
    Soli said:
    BxBorn said:
    Wow, if iPhones did this, it would be the end of the world. But Samsung can even have a phone that blows up and it's just business as usual...
    Really? because iOS 13 was found to have a lockscreen bypass issue that went pretty well under the radar as well as the Apple issue whereby when updating the credit card used for iTunes payments users had someone else's billing details exposed to them but sure, the world would end on an Apple security issue…
    I missed that. Can you link to an article that shows that iOS 13 will give you bypass the security to give you full access to someone's iPhone?
    Here’s one link. It happened in beta, so maybe it’s been corrected. 

    http://www.iphonehacks.com/2019/09/ios-13-exploit-bypass-lockscreen.html

    so the issue never put anyone at risk because it was detected and solved during product development - yeah i can see how this isn’t like the samsung situation at all, where the product has been on sale for more than half its life cycle and sold to 10s of millions of people.
    edited October 2019 watto_cobra
  • Reply 35 of 65
    Soli said:
    BxBorn said:
    Wow, if iPhones did this, it would be the end of the world. But Samsung can even have a phone that blows up and it's just business as usual...
    Really? because iOS 13 was found to have a lockscreen bypass issue that went pretty well under the radar as well as the Apple issue whereby when updating the credit card used for iTunes payments users had someone else's billing details exposed to them but sure, the world would end on an Apple security issue…
    I missed that. Can you link to an article that shows that iOS 13 will give you bypass the security to give you full access to someone's iPhone?
    the bypass was to the contacts only but are you selectively ignoring the bit about the exposure of billing details?  here's a link to that https://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/3081869/ios-13-credit-card-bug
    edited October 2019
  • Reply 36 of 65
    AppleExposedAppleExposed Posts: 1,805unconfirmed, member
    BxBorn said:
    Wow, if iPhones did this, it would be the end of the world. But Samsung can even have a phone that blows up and it's just business as usual...
    Really? because iOS 13 was found to have a lockscreen bypass issue that went pretty well under the radar as well as the Apple issue whereby when updating the credit card used for iTunes payments users had someone else's billing details exposed to them but sure, the world would end on an Apple security issue...

    You're new to Apple aren't you?
    watto_cobra
  • Reply 37 of 65
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,213member
    MplsP said:
    gatorguy said:
    maestro64 said:
    Does anyone else see an issue with Sansung tech being able to log into the phone and take control of it and modify setting. It looks like Samsung/Andriod has backdoors into the phone similar to a PC. 
    You mean software and operating system updates? Heck Apple does those. I believe in a worst case scenario Apple can still access your personal phone and remove a particularly egregious piece of malware masquerading as an app.  What's the issue?
    From the article , "The man in customer services took control of the phone remotely and went into all the settings and finally admitted it looked like a security breach." - this is more than just an automatic software update; it's a remote user have access to the settings of the phone. Apple can remotely delete software but that's it. They can't log onto your phone and access settings.
    Yeah, on his own I don't think that's what's happened. Something was lost in translation. 
  • Reply 38 of 65
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,879member
    13485 said:
    I look forward to Joanna Stern's exhaustive investigation into this, with perhaps latex prostate/rectal fingers. Much like the Face ID in-depth with masks and costumes and parting hair on a different side.

    Yeah, as if.
    Yes, I also expect a video where she dons wings. (She’s such a hack, I really don’t know what Gruber’s obsession with her coverage is)
    pscooter63cornchipwatto_cobra
  • Reply 39 of 65
    StrangeDaysStrangeDays Posts: 12,879member
    hexclock said:
    Soli said:
    BxBorn said:
    Wow, if iPhones did this, it would be the end of the world. But Samsung can even have a phone that blows up and it's just business as usual...
    Really? because iOS 13 was found to have a lockscreen bypass issue that went pretty well under the radar as well as the Apple issue whereby when updating the credit card used for iTunes payments users had someone else's billing details exposed to them but sure, the world would end on an Apple security issue…
    I missed that. Can you link to an article that shows that iOS 13 will give you bypass the security to give you full access to someone's iPhone?
    Here’s one link. It happened in beta, so maybe it’s been corrected. 

    http://www.iphonehacks.com/2019/09/ios-13-exploit-bypass-lockscreen.html

    Nope. That exploit, in the GM but limited to the X, only allowed access to the phone’s contacts as seen from the text screen. Not full access to the device and thus not the same level of severity as this exploit.

    https://www.theverge.com/2019/9/13/20863993/ios-13-exploit-lockscreen-bypass-security
    edited October 2019 muthuk_vanalingamwatto_cobra
  • Reply 40 of 65
    kevin keekevin kee Posts: 1,289member
    netmage said:
    That explanation is interesting but doesn’t explain how the same screen protector unlocked her friend’s phone. 
    Sure it does. Her friend's finger oil is on the fingerprint sensing area on her phone. After applying the screen protector, it too is entombed.

    How does oil simulate ridges? The whole point of an ultrasonic sensor is that it isn’t supposed to be fooled by images since it can measure the depth of your ridges.
    Makes you wonder how the engineers at Samsung can fail so spectacularly? No QA? No Beta Tester? I don't know the answers but I am pretty sure it won't generate as much attention if iPhone had the same problem.
    edited October 2019 watto_cobra
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