WTF?! One of the more recent technologies that’s quickly becoming a standard for many smartphones is in-screen fingerprint scanners. It’s a helpful feature that makes unlocking a device quick and easy, but what happens when something goes wrong? That’s what appears to be happening in the Nokia 9 PureView, which users are reporting can be unlocked not only by a non-registered finger but also by a pack of chewing gum.
The Nokia 9 PureView, best known for its array of five rear cameras, was said to offer an awkward experience when it came to registering and authenticating users’ fingerprints. To address the issue, a software update arrived last week that was supposed to improve the sensor’s performance, but it may have caused new problems.
A user called Decoded Pixel posted a video to Twitter showing how the Nokia 9 could be unlocked using someone's unregistered finger and even a pack of chewing gum.
Video of the fingerprint sensor unlocking phone with a packet of chewing gum and someone else's finger pic.twitter.com/jwY4ZG7uCh
— Decoded Pixel (@decodedpixel) April 21, 2019
Another video showed Decoded Pixel unlocking the phone using the same packet of gum from different sides. It took several attempts, but the Nokia 9 eventually unlocked. Strangely, the user said the problem has persisted for two weeks—before the software update was rolled out.
@NokiaMobile @TechAltar here is another video of Nokia 9 being unlocked with a chewing gum packet. Phone has no tempered glass screen protector and display was cleaned before recording. pic.twitter.com/GqBVhmTiTZ
— Decoded Pixel (@decodedpixel) April 22, 2019
It appears this issue isn't limited to Decoded Pixel’s Nokia 9. Marton Barcza, from YouTube channel TechAltar, said he could also unlock the phone using an unregistered fingerprint, as did some other owners.
Damn, mine just let me get in with a random unregistered fingerprint as well... @sarvikas @NokiaMobile you have another serious security flaw here. Any comments?
— TechAltar (@TechAltar) April 21, 2019
Several users, including Nokia chief product officer Juho Sarvikas, said they couldn’t reproduce the issue, so it appears limited in scope. The company has asked if it can swap Decoded Pixel’s unit and is investigating the matter.
HMD has just gotten back to me about the Nokia 9 fingerprint reader. They are investigating it. pic.twitter.com/EbeqQ35422
— TechAltar (@TechAltar) April 23, 2019
https://www.techspot.com/news/79782-hmd-global-investigating-nokia-9-fingerprint-scanner-can.html
