Roger Fingas
A Vietnamese security firm says it has managed to bypass the iPhone X's Face ID system using a mask, in spite of Apple efforts to specifically prevent that deception, but regular users have no obvious reasons to be concerned about the alleged efforts.
The mask combines a 3D-printed frame with makeup, a silicone nose, and 2D images, plus "special processing" in select areas. In a demonstration video, an iPhone X is shown unlocking for both the mask and the person it's based on.
The security firm, Bkav, claims this proves facial recognition is "not mature enough" for either smartphones or computers, having previously bypassed safeguards on some laptops.
During Apple's iPhone X event in September, marketing head Phil Schiller said that the company "worked with professional mask makers and makeup artists in Hollywood" during development, even creating a collection of masks to train the X's neural network.
In practice Bkav-style masks are unlikely to pose a threat, since they would not only be difficult and expensive to make, but require the dimensions of a person's face and detailed imagery.
AppleInsider recently put the iPhone X through a series of tests to see how well Face ID can replace Touch ID.
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
AppleInsider Staff
Chip Loder
Malcolm Owen
89 Comments
I'll bet the attention-detection feature is inactive, but still.....
I call this as total BS, and if not I bet he ID'd the mask and unlocked with real face.
So it works if someone 3d images your face, that's sorta expected, same for a 3d model of a finger that some have pointed out with touch ID, both require a person to quite obviously try to steal your identity for.
"The security firm, Bkav, claims this proves facial recognition is "not mature enough" for either smartphones or computers, having previously bypassed safeguards on some laptops. " So if someone steals my phone, and they just happen to have a 3D model of my face as well as a high resolution photo that they can overlay on top of it on order to construct a 3D model that is close enough to be able to trick Face ID, they might be able to get into my phone? Give me a fucking break. "Not mature enough" my ass. The scenario they're depicting is unlikely to happen even once for any of the hundreds of millions of users that will own this phone.