Fingerprint sensors have been on smartphones for years, but most people probably don't know how they work. Well, the average fingerprint sensor is optical, meaning that it's sort of like a camera. We've seen plenty of cases where people can hack fingerprint sensors to steal fingerprints before and now there's a new case with the Xiaomi Mi 9T.
According to Wccftech, Reddit user ntelas46 discovered that you can easily see the scans made by a Xiaomi Mi 9T. By using an Activity Launcher app, the user was able to get access to the fingerprint scans. This means that if someone were to get access to your phone, they could potentially hack into any account you have that requires your fingerprint for authentication.
It's blurry at best, but it's a fact that the fingerprint sensor's scans can be read
Considering the resolution of the image, we can rule out the possibility of the sensor being used as an impromptu camera to spy on people. But the ability to get access to a user's fingerprint data alone presents a huge security risk. Hopefully, Xiaomi will take note of this and do something about it.
Going forward, ultrasonic fingerprint sensors may be the better way to go. But regardless, we think that smartphone manufacturers need to pay more attention to security risks like these. With that said, what is your preferred authentication method for your phone? Let us know in the comments below and stay tuned to TechNave.com for more news.
COMMENTS