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Hackers Say They Beat iPhone X’s Face ID With a Mask

It only costs about $150.

The big new feature for the iPhone X, Apple’s premier smartphone, is Face ID, which instead of unlocking your phone with a fingerprint scans the owner’s face. Now, researchers from Vietnamese firm Bkav say they have already bested the security mechanism with a custom-made mask that costs around $150. The mask used a combination of 3D- and 2D-printed elements, as well as a silicone “nose.” “So, after nearly 10 years of development, face-recognition is not mature enough to guarantee security for computers and smartphones,” Bkav wrote in a blog post. To be clear, this approach probably isn’t something the average thief is going to be able to pull off, so the threat posted to ordinary users is minimal. But it acts as a reminder that resourceful and creative hackers are going to try and circumvent whatever protections they can. Law-enforcement agencies such as the FBI, who especially have an interest in accessing seized phones, are probably paying attention.