Hackers Trick Samsung Galaxy S8 Iris Recognition Using a Printed Photo and a Contact Lens

German hackers have successfully broken the iris recognition authentication in the Samsung Galaxy S8 using equipment that costs less than the price of the smartphone, according to Ars Technica.

Hackers with the Chaos Computer Club used a digital camera, a Samsung laser printer, and a contact lens to achieve the feat. The hack involved taking a picture of the phone owner's face, printing it out on paper, carefully placing the contact lens on the iris in the printout, and holding the image in front of the locked Galaxy S8.


The video shown above was posted by the hackers to demonstrate the process in action. The photo doesn't have to be a close-up shot, although using night-shot mode or removing the infrared filter helps, according to the hackers.

The hack comes despite the fact that both Samsung and Princeton Identity, the manufacturer of the authentication technology, say iris recognition provides "airtight security" that allows consumers to "finally trust that their phones are protected". Princeton Identity have also said the Samsung partnership "brings us one step closer to making iris recognition the standard for user authentication."

The Galaxy S8 is one of the first flagship phones to offer iris recognition as a convenient alternative to using a passcode or fingerprint, but the hackers said they suspect future mobile devices that offer iris recognition may be equally easy to hack. Apple is widely expected to include the feature alongside Touch ID and face recognition in this year's much-rumored OLED iPhone, although the possible origins of the technology remain unclear.

Apple has already trademarked "Iris Engine", presumably in relation to the upcoming feature, with its acquisition of companies such as Faceshift and PrimeSense lending credence to the suggestion that Apple is developing its own solution for the so-called "iPhone 8". One report has claimed that Taiwan-based supplier Xintec, an affiliate of Apple manufacturer TSMC, is mass-producing the iris recognition chips for Apple.

Samsung reportedly added a facial recognition capability to the Galaxy S8 because of doubts about the reliability of iris scanning on its own, but the security of the facial recognition itself came into question almost immediately, when a photo of a user's face was used to unlock a handset at the S8 launch event.

Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

keysofanxiety Avatar
83 months ago
Ah that blog post from Princeton Identity...
In our daily lives, we almost always confirm the identity of the people who we know using a version of biometrics – we recognize the face, the body size and shape, and the voice of our friends, family and coworkers.
I can't help but imagine lots of people having conversations with cardboard cutouts of their coworkers and not knowing the difference.

They also tricked Touch ID btw
By replicating a fingerprint in identical detail, yes. It's like 'tricking' a door by creating the exact key which fits the lock. Samsung's door, on the other hand, would simply creak open by whistling into the lock like a Shaman Throat Warbler. :D
Score: 53 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Nik Avatar
83 months ago
They also tricked Touch ID btw. With a photograph + wax. For Samsung you need Photograph + Contact Lens. Not much different. Both systems are not secure.
Score: 32 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Zirel Avatar
83 months ago
Iris -> Siri
Both worthless. Who would have thought?
So worthless, that Apple received multiple awards for its use by disabled people...
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tdream Avatar
83 months ago
Samsung security is worthless because hackers found a way to steal a sample of your saliva, reengineer a perfect clone of you using stem cells and dna material left on your starbucks coffee cup. Now they've stolen your wife, family and kids, house, bank accounts, dog and collection of baseball cards.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheShadowKnows! Avatar
83 months ago
Iris -> Siri
Both worthless. Who would have thought?
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
44267547 Avatar
83 months ago
So Samsungs gimmick feature got hacked,No doubt Finger print scanner is more secure than this iris scanner.
@Sunny1990. Actually, you're incorrect. Iris scanning is far more secure than a fingerprint scanner.

The iris is the colored pattern part of your eye. It is developed when you're approximately a year old or so. An eye injury or death, apparently never changes after the fact. Fingerprints can likely be duplicated one out of 50,000 as where Iris scanning is more similar to one out of 1 million. It uses infrared and a camera to detect the Iris.

Iris scanning is also expected to be 5/6 times more secure than a fingerprint and accurate in reading, because it contains more unique information about you and makes it highly more accurate/reliable than fingerprint scanning. Fingerprint scanning can be duplicated .

http://science.howstuffworks.com/biometrics4.htm

http://findbiometrics.com/solutions/iris-scanners-recognition/
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Details: Action Button, USB-C Port, Face ID, and More

Wednesday September 27, 2023 1:34 pm PDT by
Significant changes are expected to arrive with Apple's fourth-generation iPhone SE, in terms of both design and hardware, MacRumors has learned. The iPhone SE 4, known internally under the codename Ghost, is expected to receive a new design derived almost entirely from the base model iPhone 14. According to our sources, the iPhone SE 4 will use a modified version of the iPhone 14 chassis...
Multi Display CarPlay 1

All-New Apple CarPlay Launching Later This Year With These 5 New Features

Friday September 29, 2023 11:29 am PDT by
At WWDC 2022 last year, Apple previewed the next generation of CarPlay, promising deeper integration with vehicle functions like A/C and FM radio, support for multiple displays across the dashboard, personalization options, and more. Apple said the first vehicles with support for the next-generation CarPlay experience would be announced in late 2023, but it has still not shared any additional...
iOS 17

Everything New in iOS 17.1 Beta 1

Wednesday September 27, 2023 1:57 pm PDT by
Just a week after releasing iOS 17, Apple has seeded the first beta of iOS 17.1 to developers. iOS 17.1 adds some features that Apple promised were coming to iOS 17 in the future, plus it refines and improves some existing features. This guide covers everything new in the first iOS 17.1 beta. Apple Music Favorites You can favorite songs, albums, playlists, and artists in the iOS 17.1...
iPhone 15 Pro lineup

iPhone 15 Pro Overheating Concerns Highlighted in Two More Reports

Thursday September 28, 2023 6:25 am PDT by
iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max overheating concerns continue to make headlines this week, with the topic highlighted by The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg. Both of the reports document anecdotal complaints from customers, and outline potential causes, but it's unclear how many devices are actually affected. Bloomberg said the overheating could be caused or compounded by the iPhone's setup...
iPhone 15 Pro lineup

Apple to Address iPhone 15 Pro Overheating Issue With iOS 17 Update

Saturday September 30, 2023 9:28 am PDT by
Apple plans to release an iOS 17 update to address a bug that may contribute to the reported iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max overheating issue, according to a statement the company shared today with MacRumors and Forbes reporter David Phelan. Apple also says some recent updates to third-party apps have overloaded the system and contributed to the overheating issue. The report notes that...
iPhone 15 USB C Port Keynote

Some USB-C Power Banks Fail to Work With iPhone 15

Thursday September 28, 2023 2:06 pm PDT by
Apple added a USB-C port to the iPhone 15 lineup this year, allowing it to work with USB-C cables, USB-C power banks, and more. It turns out that some USB-C battery packs are not working properly with Apple's iPhone 15, resulting in charging issues. As highlighted on Reddit and the MacRumors forums, not all existing USB-C power banks can be used with the iPhone 15 models, perhaps due to the...
iOS 17

Apple Releases iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 for All iPhones and iPads

Tuesday September 26, 2023 12:47 pm PDT by
Apple today released iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 updates, with the software coming five days after the releases of iOS 17.0.1 and iPadOS 17.0.1. Today's iOS 17.0.2 and iPadOS 17.0.2 updates arrive as build 21A351 and can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Note that iOS 17.0.2 was previously made available for iPhone...