Galaxy S8's three biometric scanners: what are they for and how are they different? The iris scanner in the Samsung Galaxy S8 was fooled with a photo Does technology have a future

The first reports of "hacking" of biometric security systems of Samsung's flagship smartphones (Galaxy S8 and S8 +) actually on the day of their presentation, at the end of March 2017. Let me remind you that then the Spanish Spanish columnist MarcianoTech was broadcasting a live Periscope from the Samsung event and deceived the face recognition system on the air. He took a selfie with his own phone and showed the resulting photo of the Galaxy S8. Oddly enough, this simple trick worked and the smartphone was unlocked.

However, Samsung's flagships are equipped with several biometric systems at once: a fingerprint scanner, an iris recognition system and a face recognition system. It would seem that fingerprint and iris scanners should be more reliable? Apparently not.

Researchers at the Chaos Computer Club (CCC) report that they were able to trick the iris scanner with a simple photograph taken from a medium distance. For example, renowned specialist Jan "Starbug" Krissler writes that it is enough to photograph the owner of the Galaxy S8 so that his eyes are visible in the frame. Then you need to print the resulting photo and demonstrate it to the front camera of the device.

The only difficulty is that modern iris scanners (as well as facial recognition systems) are able to distinguish 2D images from the real human eye or 3D face. But Starbug easily overcame this difficulty: he simply glued a contact lens over the photo of the eye, and that was enough.

For best results, the specialist advises taking the photo in night mode, as this will allow you to capture more detail, especially if the victim's eyes are dark. Chriessler also writes that it is better to print photos on Samsung laser printers (what an irony).

“A good digital camera with a 200mm lens will be enough to capture an image from a distance of up to five meters, suitable for deceiving the iris recognition system,” summarizes Chrissler.

This attack can be much more dangerous than a trivial deception of the face recognition system, because if the latter cannot be used to confirm payments in Samsung Pay, then the iris of the eye can be used for this. Finding a high-quality photograph of a victim these days is clearly not difficult, and as a result, an attacker will not only be able to unlock the device and gain access to user information, but also steal funds from someone else's Samsung Pay wallet.

Experts at Chaos Computer Club warn users that they should not trust biometric security systems too much and recommend using the good old PIN codes and picture passwords.

The video below illustrates step by step all the stages of creating a fake "eye" and demonstrates the subsequent deception of the Samsung Galaxy S8.

Samsung representatives commented on the situation:

"The company is aware of this announcement. Samsung assures users that the Galaxy S8's iris recognition technology has been developed and implemented after rigorous testing to ensure the highest levels of scanning accuracy and prevent unauthorized access attempts."

The method described in the aforementioned material can be implemented only using complex techniques and the coincidence of a number of circumstances. You need a high-resolution retinal photograph taken with an IR camera, contact lenses and the smartphone itself. An internal investigation found it incredibly difficult to get a result using this method.

Nevertheless, even if there is a potential vulnerability, the company's specialists will make every effort to ensure the security of confidential and personal data of users as soon as possible. "

The flagship smartphone Samsung Galaxy S8 received not only a fingerprint sensor, but also an iridescent retina scanner, which, according to company representatives, is a more reliable means of biometric identification of the owner. However, representatives of the German hacker community Chaos Computer Clubs (CCC) succeeded It is relatively easy to fool a Samsung device scanner.

As the hackers found out, for this it is enough to take a digital photo of the eye in the night shooting mode or by turning off the infrared filter on the camera. After a little processing, which may include changing the brightness and contrast, the photo of the eye must be printed on a laser printer (the authors of the study ironically note that they managed to achieve the best result using Samsung printers), and then place a regular contact lens on the pupil and show the photo to the smartphone scanner to unlock.

"If you value the data on your smartphone or want to use it to make payments, then using a traditional PIN is a more reliable approach than biometric authentication," said CCC spokesman Dirk Engling, recalling that the Samsung Galaxy S8 iris scanner can be used to authorization in the Samsung Pay system.

A short video demonstrating the effectiveness of the smartphone scanner deception method was posted on YouTube.

Later, Samsung commented on the demonstrated method of bypassing the iris scanner. As stated in the message of the company received by the editorial office of NEWSru.com, the described method can only be implemented using complex technology and provided that a number of circumstances coincide.

"We need a high-resolution photo of the retina, taken with an infrared camera, contact lenses and the smartphone itself. During an internal investigation, it was found that it is incredibly difficult to achieve a result using this method," Samsung said.

The company also said the Galaxy S8's iris recognition technology has been developed and implemented after rigorous testing to ensure high levels of scan accuracy and prevent unauthorized access attempts, and has pledged to make every effort to ensure the safety of user data.

Recall that earlier a group of computer security specialists from the University of Michigan had a simple way to hack the fingerprint scanner, which is equipped with many modern smartphones, using a conventional inkjet printer.

Samsung continues to sell globally and users are starting to complain about Galaxy S8 problems. New problems emerge almost daily. With that in mind, below is a list of common problems you may encounter, along with methods to fix them. These solutions also work for the Galaxy S8 Plus.

The Samsung Galaxy S8 will be available for sale in less than a month, which means more problems will appear in the near future.
This is still a worthy replacement for the elders and, just need to take into account some problems. We will deal with the most important complaints and offer fixes and other ways to solve the problem.

This is an impressive smartphone with a lot to offer its users. It has a stunning Infinity Edge screen with tiny bezels, tons of performance and a great camera. But just like all flagship smartphones, it isn't perfect.

How to fix Galaxy S8 fingerprint scanner problems?
The first and biggest problem with the Galaxy S8 for most users is the location of the fingerprint scanner. It is located just awful. The scanner is located on the back of the smartphone, but not under the camera. To make matters worse, the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus are larger than most flagship smartphones, making the scanner beyond the reach of most users.

Unfortunately, there is no real way to fix this problem, owners only have to get used to the new position of the scanner. Muscle memory will force you to look for a Home button that no longer exists. The only real solution is to carefully tune the scanner to help you accurately read the fingerprint.

For example, the scanner may have less fingerprint recognition after installing the cover. Delete the saved prints and re-configure with the case, be sure to follow the onscreen instructions during this process. Changing angles, finger direction, and other tweaks can give you better results.

The scanner is not a button, there is no characteristic click during scanning, so you never know if you hit the camera instead of the scanner. As a result, the camera lens quickly becomes stained.

How to fix a face and iris scanner?
Fortunately, Samsung provides several different biometric unlocking methods to compensate for the poor placement of the fingerprint reader. You have access to the face recognition system and the Iris (iris) scanner that we saw on the Galaxy Note 7.

The Iris scanner works at night, through glasses, and at larger angles than on the Galaxy Note 7. However, in the comments, users have argued that none of these methods work well enough. If you have any problems, we recommend that you delete the Iris scanner settings and re-configure it. Try to open your eyes wide the first time for better reading.

With face recognition, things are even worse. Some users like the feature, while others find it useless and complain that face recognition doesn't work. A photograph of your face can also trick the system. Therefore, be careful if this is your only method of unlocking your smartphone.

Instead of using your face, we recommend using a feature called Smart Lock. It uses GPS to keep safe locations like at home or work, and your voice and your Bluetooth accessories can also unlock the Galaxy S8 automatically. Thus, when you are at home, the smartphone is not blocked. One has only to leave the house, and the smartphone will be blocked. This solution allows you to interact with phone scanners as little as possible.

Go to Settings - Lock Screen & Security - Smart Lock and enable the function. Then adjust the location and connect Bluetooth devices for the best function.

How to fix not full screen Galaxy S8 apps?
Another big problem we keep seeing complaints about is apps that don't go full screen. With a large 5.8 "or 6.2" Quad HD display, some applications may not be able to use the entire space. This is due to an aspect ratio similar to that of a 16: 9 widescreen cinema that plots black bars. Fortunately, you can fix this quickly and easily.

Until now, most applications have worked fine and scaled, but some don't. If so, follow these steps to fix this issue.

Pull down the notification panel and go to "Settings" (gear icon in the upper right corner);
Find and select "Display / Screen";
Select the option "Full screen applications";
Find any application that is not highlighted and switch it to full screen mode;

The app will now automatically scale to the new 18.5: 9 aspect ratio and fill the entire screen. Some of them might not look right, but almost all of the apps we've seen displayed great. Alternatively, owners can click the Recent button and click Expand (green icon) to instantly switch to full screen mode for that app. If it is needed.

How to fix Galaxy S8 Wi-Fi problems?
Countless reports confirm Wi-Fi issues on the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus. Owners mention poor connection performance, disconnections, and speed dips that prevent even the website from loading until the smartphone disconnects from Wi-Fi. We see these problems with almost every smartphone that comes to market.

If you are experiencing Wi-Fi issues with your Galaxy S8, we recommend that you reset your home router or modem first. Better yet, reset your network settings to default. We found that turning off the power to the router for 10 seconds or so and then starting it up will allow your smartphone to connect. Try going to Settings - Connections - Wi-Fi and reset your wireless network. Then reconnect, enter the password and reconnect.

If you used Samsung Smartswitch to transfer data from your old smartphone, the Wi-Fi information is also transferred and the new Galaxy S8 will connect automatically. If this is your case, we strongly recommend that you reconfigure your connection manually.

How to get the app drawer back on the Galaxy S8?
Not only are we missing a physical Home button like we've seen on all Samsung smartphones over the past seven years, but the Galaxy S8 lacks an app tray shortcut. How do I find and open all of your apps?

Instead of wasting home screen space with a dedicated white button, Samsung has created an app drawer gesture. Just swipe anywhere at the bottom of the screen to open the app drawer. This is a functional change at the phone software level.

You can remedy the situation, however. Pinch any free space on the screen. The desktop shrinks to indicate the transition to edit and page layout mode, and the rearrangement of widgets and background image. Click on the "Settings" button (gear). Now go to the "Applications Button" option and select "Show Button". Now accept the settings and go back. You will see a familiar button at the bottom of the screen that will open the application tray.

Samsung has even added a Home Screen Only option if you want all your apps to stay on the home screens like they do on the iPhone. Try this solution, you will be able to create folders to keep the interface clean.

How to fix red screen tint on Galaxy S8?
Some users, mainly from Korea, have outlined the problem of screen red tint, which distorts colors. This is not a hardware issue that will require a replacement phone, a software update should fix it.

As you can see above, two smartphones have a reddish tint, while one smartphone displays a normal white screen. This is a calibration problem in one form or another, since then Samsung has updated the phone's software, offering users a large number of options to customize the screen to their liking. The update is already available in Russia for Galaxy S8 users.

Go to Settings - Display - Screen Mode and choose a new color mode. In addition, you can align the color balance to complete the screen color adjustment, including hue and white balance. This is the only way to get rid of the red tint on the Galaxy S8 screen.

How to change screen resolution on Galaxy S8?
Another problem is that the Samsung Galaxy S8 comes with a QHD screen (2960 x 1400). Higher than most Full HD (1080p) TVs. However, Samsung is dropping the default resolution to 1080p for daily use. The manufacturer did the same with the Android 7 Nougat update for the Galaxy S7.

This solution, which is almost invisible to the user, however, improves smartphone performance and battery life. Most users won't be able to tell the difference between QHD and Full HD (1080p) on a phone. However, if you want paid for Quad HD, the resolution is easy to change.

Just go to Settings - Display - Screen Resolution and slide the slider all the way to the right to WQHD + for the best screen experience.

How to Fix Wet Speaker Problems on Galaxy S8?
Like its predecessors, the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus are IP68 certified, meaning they are protected from water and dust. This means that you can lower your smartphone to a depth of two meters for a period of no more than 30 minutes. It's protected from damage with no plugs covering the ports, no covers for you.

If the Galaxy S8 gets wet, the speakers may sound funny for a while, but water can't do long-term damage to your smartphone's sound.

Samsung uses a specialized coating on the inside of the speaker and on the surface to keep water out. If the speaker doesn't work or doesn't sound well after getting wet, just let it dry. There is a dedicated screen behind the speaker grill, but sometimes just a little water gets on the speaker.

Try shaking the phone, blowing lightly on the speaker grill, or blotting your side to catch any remaining water. After the speaker is dry, it will work normally.

How to fix Bluetooth problems on Galaxy S8?
Even though this is the first smartphone with Bluetooth 5.0 to cover four bands, quickly pair and connect two devices at the same time, we see tons of complaints about Bluetooth.

Several users point out that the Galaxy S8 does not even see its devices, which makes it impossible to connect them to a smartphone. Reminds of old CDs that sometimes could not be read. Sometimes a very bad connection becomes a problem. We see a flood of complaints on the Samsung forum, but no solution in sight.

One participant suggests turning off the Galaxy S8 and your Bluetooth accessory. Turn them back on, remove any link (pairing) and reconnect to your headphones, speaker, or car. Often, a simple reboot is enough to fix Bluetooth problems. Users can also head to Settings\u003e Applications\u003e Bluetooth Search and clear the cache. This solution will remove all mates, which helps some users.

If you continue to experience Bluetooth issues, you may have to wait for a software update.

How to fix Galaxy S8 camera problems?
Did you receive a "Warning, Camera Failure" notification on the Galaxy S8? Some users complain about this problem and then immediately close the camera application. Thus, you cannot take pictures.

Like last year, the smartphone offers a feature called "Smart Stay" that can cause errors. It uses the device's sensors to keep the screen on while you look at it. Unfortunately, this feature interferes with the camera again. Head to Settings - Advanced Features and disable Smart Stay.

We also experienced this issue: The Galaxy S8's camera app closes and displays a warning that the temperature is too high.

This is quite common in a hot car in the summer, but you shouldn't have any problems when photographing indoors. This should not happen in other conditions. If you have encountered similar problems, please write to us.

Another problem is Vision. An important selling point for the Galaxy S8 is the built-in assistant that also uses the camera to find information about the items you are shooting. For most, the function does not work at all or occasionally. We have dropped this feature and hopefully an update will make the assistant more useful in the near future.

How to fix slow charging or wireless charging?
Samsung Galaxy S8 won't explode? After the Note 7's troubles, this issue has come up a lot. We cannot say 100%, but most likely the new flagship is perfectly safe. Samsung includes 8 battery test points and thoroughly tests its phones before release.

However, you may feel that the smartphone gets a little warm while charging. Other charging complaints include the Galaxy S8's slow charging speed. I use a case so I don't feel the warmth like others. If you are playing games or performing labor-intensive tasks, the smartphone may also become warm.

Alternatively, Galaxy S8 owners who are worried about the heat while charging can head to Settings\u003e Battery and turn off the Fast Cable Charge option, which uses Quick Charge 2.0 and Samsung's Adaptive Charging. This means that the smartphone will not charge from 0 to 50% in 25-30 minutes, and a full charge will take more than two hours, but it will not get too hot. If your smartphone charges too slowly, make sure you use a special adapter that comes with your smartphone and a high-quality USB Type-C.
Owners cannot simply use a USB Type-C cable with an old charger as it does not supply enough power to enable fast charging. Remember, if you need extra power, buy the appropriate accessories.

Speaking of charging, many reports have gone over fast wireless charging, which just doesn't work for some users, even on Samsung's fast charging pad. We suspect that the update will help fix this problem, perhaps Samsung is limiting fast charging functions for some charging panels to keep the temperature of the smartphone normal. We'll update this section when we learn more.

How to reset a frozen Galaxy S8?
If the phone freezes, you can manually reboot. It will help solve minor random phone problems. Whether it's screen glitches or screen orientation errors, an app stuck, or other minor issues, a quick restart will often fix them.

Owners can easily reboot the smartphone by long pressing the power button and then clicking "Restart". The phone will shut down and restart, allowing you to work as intended.

We have prepared a separate article for a hard reset. Press and hold the Power and Volume Down button for about 7-8 seconds, until the Galaxy S8 vibrates and restarts. This will fix almost any minor Galaxy S8 issue.
Speaking of reboot, it looks like some users have encountered the problem of randomly rebooting the Galaxy S8. In case the smartphone simply restarts for no apparent reason. Based on over 100 comments on the Samsung forum, this is a fairly common problem. The company is aware of this, and some users say ejecting the MicroSD fixes the situation. We recommend formatting the SD card and trying again to see if the reboots have gone through or not.

The Galaxy S8 and the “DQA keeps stopping” message are another common problem that users complain about. An unusual error that appears on some devices. The problem can be resolved after a reboot. The culprit is the "device quality agent" service that scans Wi-Fi devices. Samsung has reportedly fixed this issue with an internal interface update using the Galaxy Apps Store. For some users, the update helped fix the error.

How to factory reset the Galaxy S8?
And last but not least, factory reset the phone. It removes all user data, apps, messages, and other phone content. Therefore, use this solution as a last resort. If you're experiencing any major issues with your Galaxy S8, try a factory reset.

This is a good way to prepare your smartphone to install new software like the upcoming Android O update. Users can then take advantage of the SmartSwitch function to automatically restore device settings. Go to Settings - General Settings and click Reset.

The whole process will take a few minutes, restore the original software, like on a smartphone out of the box, deleting everything. Galaxy S8 owners can use Samsung SmartSwitch or Google Restore to get all apps and settings back. Again, this is a last resort.

In conclusion, the Galaxy S8 remains a new smartphone, available on sale for less than a month. The more users buy it, the more new complaints we expect. Samsung's slow update process can fix some issues with the Galaxy S8, if not, head back to this article, we'll update it for new issues. Email us if you have any problems, we will do our best to help.

05/24/2017 Wed, 12:12, Moscow time , Text: Roman Georgiev

The retina scanner built into the Samsung Galaxy S8 smartphone can be tricked with photography, according to researchers at the Chaos Computer Club. Although the scanner understands the difference between a flat image and three-dimensional objects, it turns out that it is enough to stick contact lenses on the photo to confuse this tool.

Retinal scanner trickery

Experts from Chaos Computer Club have demonstrated a way to bypass one of the key biometric authorization tools that the new flagship Samsung S8 smartphone is equipped with. The retina scanner was tricked with photography and contact lenses.

S8 is the second series of Samsung smartphones equipped with a retina scanner. The first was the Galaxy Note 7 line. The manufacturer had to withdraw these devices due to numerous cases of overheating and burning of batteries. Thus, the S8 became the first smartphone whose users were able to evaluate the retina scanner, as well as other means of biometric authentication. In particular, a fingerprint scanner and a face scanner.

Like a fingerprint, the retina is unique to each person. However, ways to deceive fingerprint scanners have been known for a long time. Now there is a fairly simple and somewhat elegant way to deceive the retina scanner as well.

Camera, printer, glue, contact lenses

Samsung engineers foresaw the likelihood that the scanner would try to cheat using photographs, so they equipped it with a depth detector. However, a researcher at the Chaos Computer Club Jan Chrissler (Jan Krissler) came up with the idea of \u200b\u200bimitating volume using contact lenses glued to the eyes in the photo. And this trick worked.

Samsung retina scanner tricked with photography and contact lenses

Thus, if an attacker has physical access to a smartphone blocked with a retina scanner, to unblock it he will need a moderately large photograph of the owner's face, printed on a color printer (Samsung printers are best suited), a pair of contact lenses and glue. ...

The problem is bigger than it seems

While this method of deceiving a retinal scanner looks rather curious, the very fact of the vulnerability of this tool has been demonstrated. Meanwhile, it was the retina scanner that Samsung planned to use as the main authorization method in its own electronic payment system Samsung Pay. That is, if such a smartphone falls into the hands of an attacker, not only the data stored on it will be at risk, but also the finances of its previous user.

“By and large, today there are no universal, invulnerable authorization methods,” says Dmitry Gvozdev, General Director of the "Security Monitor" company. “Vulnerabilities or workarounds will sooner or later be found in all such tools, even in biometric scanners, which were once considered a paragon of reliability. The most correct approach to protection would be to use a combination of several authorization methods at once. It is not always convenient for users, but it remains to choose which is more important: convenience or security of data on the device. "

The Galaxy S8 and S8 + have three biometric sensors: a fingerprint scanner, an iris scanner, and face recognition using the front camera. They are used for user authentication for different purposes, although some of their capabilities are duplicated.

The fingerprint scanner

The fingerprint scanner is used in the Galaxy S8 and S8 + to unlock the screen (including in conjunction with entering a password), as well as to verify identity in applications and to confirm payments (in Google Play, Android Pay, Samsung Pay and other services).

Previously, Samsung placed such a scanner on the front, and on newer smartphones it is located on the back next to the camera. Samsung probably realizes that this is not the best solution, so it even added a reminder to the camera to periodically clean the camera lens (which can get dirty when the user tries to find the scanner).

Iris scanner

Like fingerprints, the pattern of the iris is unique to each person. This scanner replaces fingerprinting and has a number of advantages - for example, there is no need to touch the device (which can be critical when hands are dirty or damp). This scanner allows you to unlock your smartphone, verify your Samsung account, and log into apps and websites. It also has disadvantages - slowness of work and low accuracy of user recognition.

Front camera with face scanner

Face scanning is the youngest and most promising technology. According to Samsung, it allows you to unlock the smartphone instantly (in 0.1 seconds), and the user's face can be at a great distance from the front camera.

Now, face scanning is used to unlock a smartphone and replaces entering a PIN, password, or picture code. Samsung is not fully confident in the security of this technology, so it cannot be used to confirm payments in Android Pay and Samsung Pay. It is unlikely that it will be possible to deceive this scanner using ordinary photography, but this does not mean that hackers will not invent ways to bypass protection, for example, using a three-dimensional image or a mask.

Why couldn't Samsung get along with one scanner for all cases? Probably, everything goes exactly to this. Perhaps the next flagships will use only one of the currently available scanners, but it is also possible that the company will combine several technologies, and biometric protection will analyze several parameters at once, which will significantly increase its reliability.