iPhone 5s security limping out of gate, proving it has a lot to learn
During ZDNet's Great Debate prior to the release of Apple's iPhone 5s with Touch ID, I argued that once released hackers would determine the strength of the fingerprint scanner and other iOS7 security features.
Well, the results are funneling in and it seems there are plenty of soft spots. Touch ID has already been hacked and the first to do it is set to collect a bounty that may exceed $11,000.
In fact, the hacker, known as Starbug, told ArsTechnica, "There was no challenge at all; the attack was very straightforward and trivial." Also, there have (again) been lockscreen bypass flaws uncovered, and methods discovered to con Siri into giving an intruder access to messaging and social media apps. And there is the fact that Touch ID can be bypassed entirely by rebooting the phone and hacking on the 4-digit passcode instead.