Samsung touted the Galaxy S10’s in-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor as safer than the common optical ones used by other companies. After all, the ultrasonic data is better than just a photo taken through an OLED panel.
However, it looks like the fingerprint sensors have a major flaw that can allow any finger to unlock the device. This has been done with a certain cheap screen protector, which confuses the sensor and forces it to unlock the device. It’s that simple, and it’s an egregious flaw that can allow anyone into your Galaxy S10 or Note 10 series device.
The good news is that Samsung is working on a fix that should be rolled out sometime this week. You’ll have to re-register your fingerprint, but that’s a small price to pay for security.
In the meantime, some banks have started blocking the Galaxy S10 and Note 10 to various degrees via their apps. NatWest de-listed the app for those Samsung devices, meaning you cannot download it from the Play Store. Nationwide Building Society has disabled fingerprint login in their app for the S10 and Note 10, making your bank info safe.
Other banks might join in, but even if they don’t, you should definitely enable a PIN while the issue isn’t fixed. Our smartphones have access to so much of our personal data these days that it’s worth taking the precaution.
Source: Android Police
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