Hackers publish thousands of copies of fingerprint of German Minister who promotes fingerprint biometrics

By Cory Doctorow at 1:23 am Tuesday, Apr 1

Hackers from the Chaos Computer Club lifted a fingerprint from German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schauble, printed it on plastic, and distributed it by the thousands with their magazine for anyone who wants to impersonate the Minister at a biometric checkpoint. Remember folks: short of amputation, a biometric identifier can't be revoked or changed.

Schauble is a big proponent of the use of fingerprints in passports but is not the CCC's only target. The group has called for help in obtaining the prints of other German officials, including Chancellor Angela Merkel.

The CCC's publication of the fingerprint coincides this week with the presentation of a security researcher who demonstrated a biometric keylogger that can capture digital fingerprints and other digital biometric data as its transmitted from a scanning device to the server where the information is processed. The hacker can then analyze and re-use the data to subvert biometric systems and gain entry to secured buildings.

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