OnePlus 6 Face Unlock can be duped by a printed photo

Ever since face unlock technology has come into play on smartphones, people have been experimenting to see what it takes to bypass the biometric security feature. The OnePlus 6 is the latest victim of this, which has apparently been duped by a printed piece of paper with the registered owner’s face on.

Apple’s tight grip on the supply chain for its Face ID components has forced rival companies to find their own solutions for the face-based biometric security. OnePlus managed to overcome this alongside Chinese security company called SenseTime, however it seems to lack the means for depth sensing and 3D face mapping.

Twitter user @rikvduijn found during his testing that the OnePlus 6’s Face Unlock can be exploited pretty easily, showcasing his friend holding a relatively wide-angled picture of him against the technology for it to unlock moments later. Worse yet, it also works with a black and white image, showing no difference between the two.

I printed my face to unlock my OnePlus 6 for the lulz… it worked ¯_(ツ)_/¯ pic.twitter.com/rAVMq8JKBr

— rik (@rikvduijn) May 29, 2018

OnePlus recognises the problem, and has issued a statement to clarify that Face Unlock was “designed around convenience” rather than security like its rival. While the company “took corresponding measures to optimise its security, we always recommended you use a password/PIN/fingerprint for security,” explains the company.

“For this reason Face Unlock is not enabled for any secure apps such as banking or payments. We’re constantly working to improve all of our technology, including Face Unlock,” concludes a OnePlus representative in its statement.

KitGuru Says: I’d imagine this situation will get better moving into 2019, when the same components that Apple uses becomes available to more manufacturers. For now, choose wisely as to whether Face Unlock is an important feature to be using on your OnePlus 6. Do you use the device’s Face Unlock? Have you experienced any problems?

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