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Samsung Galaxy S5 vulnerable to same fingerprint hack as iPhone 5s

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfhLZZWBn5Q]

The same German security researchers who demonstrated a hack of the iPhone 5s Touch ID fingerprint sensor have released a video showing that the same hack also works with the Samsung Galaxy S5.

The hack relies on photographing a latent print from something like a glass in a bar, then using lab techniques to transfer the image of the print into wood glue, which is then applied to someone else’s finger to activate the sensor … 

The researchers point out that the risk is greater with the S5 because it never requires a passcode, even after a reboot – and because a fingerprint can be used to authorise a PayPal payment without any additional security.

However, it should be stressed that the hack is non-trivial, requiring some fairly specialist kit and physical access to the phone for several hours. Provided you realise the phone is gone within this time, you can remotely wipe it.

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