Researchers from Security Research Labs in Germany ability to gain entry to a PayPal account connected to the Samsung Galaxy S5 reportedly shows defects in the phone's fingerprint sensor and in utilizing fingerprints, iris scans, and additional methods to affirm someone's information Ars Technica reported Tuesday.
"We expected we'd be able to spoof the S5's Finger Scanner, but I hoped it would at least be a challenge," Ben Schlabs, a researcher at SRLabs told Ars Technia in an e-mail "The S5 Finger Scanner feature offers nothing new except-because of the way it is implemented in this Android device-slightly higher risk than that already posed by previous devices.
"Perhaps most concerning is that Samsung does not seem to have learned from what others have done less poorly," Schlabs said in a video showing how the hack is done.
"Not only is it possible to spoof the fingerprint authentication even after the device has been turned off, but the implementation also allows for seemingly unlimited authentication attempts without ever requiring a password. Incorporation of fingerprint authentication into highly sensitive apps such as PayPal gives a would-be attacker an even greater incentive to learn the simple skill of fingerprint spoofing," Schlabs said in the video
The Galaxy S5 operates on Android's 4.4 KitKat, has a 5.1 inch, 1080 pixel high definition screen, a 2.5 gigahertz quad core process, and a 16 megapixel camera The Los Angeles Times reported.
Samsung Smartwatch gadgets are also available. These can handle dust if and when users go for a hike, and fend off water if they are at the beach. Consumers can also measure their heart rate.
The devices can also make calls and transmit text messages when users utilize it with a Samsung galaxy smartphone the press release reported.
The watches also handle automatic notifications, and music capabilities that allow consumers to hear songs via the smartphone.
The Gear 2 costs $299 with the Gear 2 Neo and Gear Fit slated for $100 less at $199 before taxes.
