It’s neither hard nor expensive: Unlike password authentication, which requires a direct match between what is inputted and what’s stored in a database, fingerprint authentication determines a match using a reference threshold. As a result, a successful fingerprint brute-force attack requires only that an inputted image provides an acceptable approximation of an image in the … Read More “Brute-Forcing a Fingerprint Reader” »
Category: fingerprints
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Researchers are able to create fake fingerprints that result in a 20% false-positive rate. The problem is that these sensors obtain only partial images of users’ fingerprints — at the points where they make contact with the scanner. The paper noted that since partial prints are not as distinctive as complete prints, the chances of … Read More “Using Machine Learning to Create Fake Fingerprints” »
This is a fun steganographic application: hiding a message in a fingerprint image. Can’t see any real use for it, but that’s okay. Powered by WPeMatico
Police in the UK were able to read a fingerprint from a photo of a hand: Staff from the unit’s specialist imaging team were able to enhance a picture of a hand holding a number of tablets, which was taken from a mobile phone, before fingerprint experts were able to positively identify that the hand … Read More “Lifting a Fingerprint from a Photo” »
It’s routine for US police to unlock iPhones with the fingerprints of dead people. It seems only to work with recently dead people. Powered by WPeMatico
In this era of electronic leakers, remember that zero-width spaces and homoglyph substitution can fingerprint individual instances of files. Powered by WPeMatico
Embedded in this story about infidelity and a mid-flight altercation, there’s an interesting security tidbit: The woman had unlocked her husband’s phone using his thumb impression when he was sleeping… Powered by WPeMatico
This is a pilot project in Australia: Individuals who have shared intimate, nude or sexual images with partners and are worried that the partner (or ex-partner) might distribute them without their consent can use Messenger to send the images to be “hashed.” This means that the company converts the image into a unique digital fingerprint … Read More “Facebook Fingerprinting Photos to Prevent Revenge Porn” »
There’s interesting research on using a set of “master” digital fingerprints to fool biometric readers. The work is theoretical at the moment, but they might be able to open about two-thirds of iPhones with these master prints. Definitely something to keep watching. Research paper (behind a paywall). Powered by WPeMatico
Mike Specter has an interesting idea on how to make biometric access-control systems more secure: add a duress code. For example, you might configure your iPhone so that either thumb or forefinger unlocks the device, but your left middle finger disables the fingerprint mechanism (useful in the US where being compelled to divulge your password … Read More “Duress Codes for Fingerprint Access Control” »