iPhone X Face ID Bypassed Using $150 Mask A Week After Its Release: Is Apple’s Security Feature Compromised?

A group of researchers from the security firm Bkav Corporation revealed that the iPhone X’s Face ID recognition system has a technical issue.

According to Bkav, Apple’s new security feature can be unlocked by using a mask, and it is effective on all iPhone X.

Since the official release of iPhone X, several hackers and tech enthusiasts have been trying hard to find a way to be the first to bypass the famous Face ID system.

However, Bkav Corporation claimed that it only took them a week to successfully beat iPhone X’s Face ID.

To prove that their claims were true, Bkav released a video on their website that shows how to unlock Apple’s new security feature using a customized mask.

According to Ngo Tuan Anh, vice president of the firm, they created a face mask through 3D printing.

He also added some makeup on the mask, as well as a prosthetic nose and simple paper cutouts. Apparently, the combination managed to trick an iPhone X into unlocking.

Bkav reportedly spent $150 to create the mask, which is considered relatively expensive.

In the clip, Anh showed off an iPhone X asking for a password when it has no face to scan. He also demonstrated that the Face ID works on his own face.

Interestingly, as soon as he tried to scan the mask, it easily unlocks as if he’s scanning his own face.

“The recognition mechanism is not as strict as you think,” Bkav Corporation revealed. “We just need a half face to create the mask. It was even simpler than we ourselves had thought.”

Bkav’s discovery caused some serious security concerns for iPhone X and other devices that feature Face ID. In fact, Anh himself claimed that hackers will have a better chance of unlocking an iPhone X without using any programs.

Previously, Apple stressed that iPhone X is definitely secure and cannot be unlocked with a mask.

During their introduction of the phone in September, executive Phil Schiller revealed that Apple’s top-notch engineers teamed up with professional mask makers and famous makeup artists in Hollywood to make Face ID more secure and efficient.

The company also noted that their artificial intelligence can recognize the difference between a real face and a mask.

However, Schiller reiterated that no biometric system is perfect, adding that chances of a random person unlocking an iPhone X using Face ID is approximately one in 1 million — a far cry from Touch ID’s one in 50,000.

In the end, the security firm warned people for possible security threats in using iPhone X’s Face ID. They also encourage authorities to take the matter seriously.

“Potential targets shall not be regular users, but billionaires, leaders of major corporations, nation leaders, and agents like FBI need to understand the Face ID’s issue.”

[Feature Image by Tomohiro Ohsumi/Getty Images]