Two days after Apple launched the iPhone 5S to great fanfare, German hackers have sucked the air out of the room with their claim that the fingerprint-activated lock has been cracked. The Chaos Computer Club posted a YouTube video of a hacker pressing his index finger to the phone’s sensor and unlocking the device, as expected, but then with a latex copy of a fingerprint stuck to his middle finger (of course), he unlocks the phone again.
The hackers write that fake fingerprints can be made with “materials that can be found in almost every household,” and link to a handy how-to guide to show how easily it can be done. “iPhone users should avoid protecting sensitive data with their precious biometric fingerprint,” the group concluded.
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Apple has yet to respond to the incident, but the website istouchidhackedyet.com has edged one step closer to handing over a monetary reward, possibly as much as $10,000, for the first hacker who can “reliably and repeatedly” break into the phone. With the latest news, the website has updated the prize status to “Maybe!” The judges are awaiting further evidence. No doubt Apple is waiting as well.
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