Samsung rolls out fix for massive Galaxy S10 fingerprint flaw
Samsung has begun rolling out a fix for a security flaw in its Galaxy S10 smartphones that allows any fingerprint to unlock the device if certain screen protectors are used.
TechRadar reported that the flaw was discovered by a user who accidentally used the wrong thumb to unlock her Galaxy S10 device.
She then tested her husband’s thumb, which also unlocked the device.
Samsung has asked all Galaxy S10 owners to delete and reset their existing fingerprints while their screen protectors are not on the device.
The fix is currently rolling out in South Korea, with other countries set to receive the patch soon.
The reason for the flaw is that the silicon of the screen protectors are detected as the fingerprint, rather than the user’s actual fingerprint – ensuring that the phone always unlocks when someone presses on the scanner.
Additionally, the fingerprint sensor of the Galaxy S10 is designed to allow users to unlock their devices even if their hands are wet or dirty – which is also being considered as part of the reason for this flaw.
Android Central has highlighted that numerous British banks have already blacklisted the Galaxy S10 and Note 10 smartphones from being used to authorise payments due to this issue.
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