Research result that the thermo camera can break smart passcode lock and pattern lock

"Passcode lock" and "pattern lock" are the most common security for protecting smartphones and tablets, although 4 to 6 digits are the most common security, but it is said that these security locks can be broken by a thermographic camera that displays temperature change A research team such as University of Stuttgart announces the results of the research.

Stay Cool! Understanding Thermal Attacks on Mobile-based User Authentication
(PDF file)http://www.mkhamis.com/data/papers/abdelrahman2017chi.pdf

You can understand how to actually read the passcode of the mobile device using the thermography by seeing the following movie in one shot.

ACM CHI 2017: Stay Cool! Understanding Thermal Attacks on Mobile-based User Authentication - YouTube


The man is entering the passcode of the smartphone.


You can now unlock and operate your smartphone.


The owner of the smartphone put the smartphone on the lock and removed the seat, but the woman took a thermography camera and photographed the smartphone there.


Then, with such feeling, it is becoming clear to see the position touched with your finger to release passcode lock. Although I do not know until the pressing order, in this case it is "1, 2, 3, 4", so there are 256 combinations in total. If you do not use the same numbers you will be able to analyze in only 24 ways, which is far more likely than brute force attacks.


Also, not only passcode locking but also the trajectory of pattern lock can be taken with a thermo camera, so if it is a simple pattern it will be analyzed immediately. According to the research team at the University of Stuttgart, it seems that it can be distinguished by a thermo camera for 30 seconds after touching the smartphone.


In fact, when I experimented with the iPhone of editorial department and a thermography camera, when the smartphone has heat, it is often difficult to distinguish between the main body temperature and the touched place, There is no pattern. When the smartphone does not have heat, if you push the number a little longer, you can certainly check the place where you touched with the thermography. For foreigners whose average body temperature is higher than Japanese, it seems to be easier to confirm by thermography.


recentlyA device that makes a smartphone a thermo camera simply by mounting itHas not only appeared but also research that breaks the screen lock from the oil in the portion touched by the finger in 2010 is also available, so we decided not to leave the smartphone just by just removing the seat It seems better.

Smudge Attacks on Smartphone Touch Screens
(PDF file)http://static.usenix.org/events/woot10/tech/full_papers/Aviv.pdf