Home
Mobiles
Mobiles News
Samsung Galaxy S5 fingerprint scanner 'hacked', PayPal defends biometrics

Samsung Galaxy S5 fingerprint scanner 'hacked', PayPal defends biometrics

By Ketan Pratap | Updated: 16 April 2014 11:21 IST

It seems Samsung's much-anticipated fingerprint scanner on the Galaxy S5 flagship has now met the same fate as Apple's Touch ID sensor on the iPhone 5s.

Within a week of being globally released on 11 April, the Galaxy S5's fingerprint scanner has been hacked. A German blog named H Security has posted a video on YouTube showing the Galaxy S5's fingerprint scanner hacking process.

Notably, shortly after Apple started selling the iPhone 5s, a German hacking group managed to bypass the fingerprint scanner, the Touch ID by using a household printer and some wood glue to create an artificial copy of a genuine fingerprint.

(Also see: Samsung Galaxy S5 fingerprint scanner: First impressions)

The video posted by Security Research Labs (H Security) on YouTube shows how easily the Galaxy S5's fingerprint scanner was hacked using a lifted fingerprint. The video shows how a 'dummy finger' or 'spoof' was used on the fingerprint scanner to gain access to the smartphone, and then PayPal, the popular electronic payment solution provider.

It's worth mentioning that Apple's Touch ID requires users to input their password once before proceeding to the fingerprint scanner authentication, making it a two-step process. Further, the iPhone 5s requires password each time after the reboot.

Unfortunately, the Galaxy S5 does not have any such security measures and the video shows how the hackers spoofed the device's PayPal system using a dummy finger and the one-step process authentication that does not require any password.

Recently, PayPal announced its certified fingerprint-based authentication system for the Galaxy S5 and revealed that the system is now available in 25 countries.

PayPal's spokesperson in a statement to BGR has defended its implementation of a biometric authentication system on the Galaxy S5:

While we take the findings from Security Research Labs very seriously, we are still confident that fingerprint authentication offers an easier and more secure way to pay on mobile devices than passwords or credit cards. PayPal never stores or even has access to your actual fingerprint with authentication on the Galaxy S5. The scan unlocks a secure cryptographic key that serves as a password replacement for the phone. We can simply deactivate the key from a lost or stolen device, and you can create a new one. PayPal also uses sophisticated fraud and risk management tools to try to prevent fraud before it happens. However, in the rare instances that it does, you are covered by our purchase protection policy.

Samsung Galaxy S5

REVIEW
KEY SPECS
NEWS

Design
Display
Software
Performance
Battery Life
Camera
Value for Money

Good
Fantastic camera
Great battery life and performance
Innovative software features
Compatibility with Samsung Gear accessories

Bad
Heart rate monitor feature is unreliable
Cluttered interface
Expensive

Read detailed Samsung Galaxy S5 review

Display 5.10-inch

Processor Samsung Exynos 5420

Front Camera 2-megapixel

Rear Camera 16-megapixel

RAM 2GB

Storage 16GB

Battery Capacity 2800mAh

OS Android 4.4.2

Resolution 1080x1920 pixels

More Samsung mobiles Samsung mobiles price in India

Comments

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Further reading: PayPal, Samsung, Samsung Galaxy S5, Samsung Galaxy S5 Availability, Samsung Galaxy S5 Features, Samsung Galaxy S5 Fingerprint Scanner, Samsung Galaxy S5 heart rate monitor, Samsung Galaxy S5 price

Ketan Pratap

Email Ketan

Ketan Pratap is the editor at Gadgets 360 - with over 12 years of experience covering the technology domain. With a breadth and depth of knowledge in the field, he's done extensive work across news, features, reviews, and opinion pieces. But what's truly inspiring about Ketan is how he spends his free time. He's often found gazing at snow-capped mountains from over 20,000 feet while sitting on the hood of his car, taking in the breathtaking beauty of nature. His passion for the great ...More