We reported about the possible security breach that affected the Samsung Galaxy S10 a while back. In this possible security breach, any cheap silicone case (yes, those transparent ones that cost less than $5) that covers the screen will be able to bypass the ultrasonic in-display fingerprint scanner no matter whose finger you place. While unlocking your handset is one thing to think about, the other more obvious danger comes in the form of someone accessing your online payment or banking apps and performing unauthorized transactions by fooling the Galaxy S10 into thinking it is your fingerprint that approved of it via the mentioned method.
Since such ultrasonic in-display fingerprint technology is also used in the newer Samsung Galaxy Note 10 family, the same 'hack' can be used to bypass what was previously an extremely secure biometric security measure. New warnings have been issued to millions of Galaxy S10 and Galaxy Note 10 owners worldwide so that they will be extra careful with the usage of their devices while Samsung works on a fix. Yes, there is still no obvious and proper fix as at press time apart from implementing best user practices.
As banking apps are vulnerable to this security breach, many banks have removed their apps from being used on the Samsung Galaxy S10 and Note 10 devices, while sending warnings to customers that their devices are vulnerable to this unique 'hacking' method.
National Westminster (NatWest) in the UK mentioned, "We've removed the app from the Play Store for customers with Samsung S10 devices. This is due to reports that there are security concerns regarding these devices. We hope to have our app available again shortly once the issue has been resolved."
Another similar message was revealed by the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), and it looks as though this procedure is just the beginning as other banking and financial institutions take proactive measures to protect the safety and security of their clients' respective accounts. In fact, a Reddit user even reported, "Same for me with my bank app in Israel, but mine only disabled login by FP and they are right to do so." All of this makes plenty of sense because should there be any fraud that occurs via the app because of this security lapse, the amount of time and work required to resolve such fraudulent transactions is not worth the effort. Prevention is always better than cure in the world of cybersecurity.
Interestingly enough, there has been no banks in the US to have issued a public announcement. Perhaps it is just a matter of time before this side of the pond performs the necessary adjustments and release a statement.
It is widely believed that Samsung continues to work around the clock in order to fix this troubling issue. Whether a software fix will be able to do the trick is one question that only Samsung will be able to answer, but if that does not work, then it is back to the drawing board for the engineering department, making this one big embarrassment for this generation of Samsung's flagship devices. The last time a negative cloud this large surrounded Samsung's device was the exploding Galaxy Note 7.
