[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HM8b8d8kSNQ]
In a rather nervous video and associated blog post, Chaos Computer Club appears to demonstrate how they can get through Touch ID by taking high-resolution photographs of a fingerprint. Ironically, they claim the hack can be completed with “materials that can be found in almost every household” then go on to say that a 2400 dpi resolution photograph of the fingerprint must be used.
The group claims that Touch ID was only a little bit more difficult to get through compared to other fingerprint sensors, since the iPhone 5s’ scanner is extremely high-resolution. They go on to state that fingerprints should not be used as a secure method of authentication since they are left on so many surfaces and can be picked up very easily.
A large, crowdfunded bounty was created to reward the first group to “crack” Touch ID. In this case, CCC is using conventional methods rather than software cracking, but the video proof makes a solid case that it is effective. The chances that someone will be able to take a 1200 dpi photograph of your fingerprint without your knowledge, however, is slim.
