Recently, security experts have warned about the insecurity of the fingerprint lock. According to published reports, it is possible to crack and unlock Android smartphones with just a $15 board named BrutePrint.
Most users use the fingerprint sensor to lock their Android smartphone, and this technology could be more reliable. Some security researchers have analyzed the state of this security method by publishing a report.
According to the report of security experts, it is possible to copy fingerprints on Android phones using a cheap kit. Of course, iPhone phones cannot be unlocked using this method.
This hardware module, BrutePrint, can copy fingerprints registered in an Android smartphone within 45 minutes. Engineers tested ten smartphones, including iPhone SE and iPhone 7, and some new Android phones to prove this claim.
The BrutePrint module includes an STM32F412 microcontroller with an 8GB SD memory card and is connected to the phone’s motherboard through an interface. This board exploits a bug in Android smartphones. This Android vulnerability has made it possible to test infinite fingerprints.
Using this method, unlocking a phone takes from 40 minutes to 14 hours. Among the ten models tested, the Galaxy S10 Plus was unlocked quickly. While opening the Xiaomi Mi 11, Ultra takes between 2.78 and 13.89 hours.
Also, the experts could not bypass the fingerprint lock of the two iPhone models because the fingerprint data is encrypted in iOS. Fortunately, this fingerprint unlocking method will no longer work with a simple security update, but the danger is still lurking in old phones that are no longer updated.