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New Samsung Warning: Galaxy S10 Fingerprint Reader Hit By ‘Security Breach’

The in-display fingerprint reader in Samsung Galaxy S10 devices can easily be bypassed via a cheap gel protector manufactured by a third-party, a user recently discovered. In response, Samsung is warning customers to use only “Samsung authorized accessories, specifically designed for Samsung products.”

The third-party gel protector was designed to make it possible for Galaxy S10 users to add a screen protector to their device without making the fingerprint reader unreliable. In order to achieve this, the protector records user fingerprints itself. However, instead of feeding those fingerprints to the scanner, it actually uses a brute force mechanism to unlock devices. This means that Galaxy S10 devices can be accessed by anyone with a gel protector. Moreover, the gel protector allows users to change fingers, and even makes it possible to change fingerprints altogether, thereby rendering the fingerprint reader useless.

Read more: New Samsung Warning: Galaxy S10 Fingerprint Reader Hit By ‘Security Breach’