Researchers have discovered that many Android smartphones have a security issue and iPhone users need not worry.
According to Forbes, it turns out that many Android smartphones can be unlocked using a photo. The problem was known for a long time, from the moment this function appeared. But it is fixed on iPhone and there it works based on face recognition 3D system and you can’t cheat iPhone photo. To Android users, it appeared that Google also quickly fixed this issue, but for some it still turned out to be true.
Biometric authentication company iProov conducted a study that tested 110 Android phones against photo vulnerabilities. It turns out that 42 of them can be unlocked using the owner’s picture on another phone or tablet.
Affected models included popular phones such as the Samsung Galaxy A10, Motorola Moto G6 Play and Sony Xperia L3. Some didn’t even warn users that facial recognition is less secure than other unlocking methods.
“This means that someone can access your phone and all of its data by simply taking a photo of your face or even using a social media photo – including banking apps and personal photos,” says Andrew Badderley, CEO of iProov. He adds that many people do not realize this risk and rely on facial recognition to protect their data.
iProov offers its own anti-fake solution called Flashmark, which uses controlled lighting to verify the authenticity of a face. The company claims that its technology can distinguish a live face from a photo or video.
However, not all Android phones are that easy to fool. iProov also tested 27 models with a more advanced facial recognition system called Face Unlock, which uses an infrared camera and dot projector to create a 3D face map. None of these phones can be hacked using a photo. Among them were the Google Pixel 4 and Pixel 4 XL, Huawei Mate 20 Pro and P40 Pro, LG G8 ThinQ and V50 ThinQ, and OnePlus 7 Pro and 8 Pro.
Previously Focus said they were offering $10 million for a Russian hacker: what he was doing and why it was dangerous.
Source: Focus
Ashley Fitzgerald is an accomplished journalist in the field of technology. She currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker. With a deep understanding of the latest technology developments, Ashley’s writing provides readers with insightful analysis and unique perspectives on the industry.