PrintListener technique: Steal fingerprints just by listening to the sound of swiping the screen

This new technique called PrintListener relies on the sound signals that the finger creates when sliding on the screen to recreate the pattern of papillae on the finger.

According to researchers, with the PrintListener technique, hackers can use microphones found in smartphones to record sounds and steal victims' fingerprints, which in turn can cause information theft. sensitive information, huge economic and personnel losses.

The researchers used PrintListener in 'real-world scenarios'. The results showed that they could recreate a portion of a person's fingerprint 27.9% of the time and needed 9.3% of the time to recreate the entire fingerprint.

Using a specialized screen protector on mobile devices can help protect against fingerprint copying using the PrintListener method, researchers say. However, the best way to prevent fingerprint theft is to change the way we interact with smartphones and screens. For example, users do not swipe their fingers on the phone screen when the microphone is active such as voice and video calling on social networks.

Isabella Humphrey

Update 23 February 2024