Tabula Rasa video demonstrates spoofing in a commercial finger vein recognition device

The Tabula Rasa consortium has posted a new video that demonstrates how easy it is for any individual to apply spoofing methods to be successfully authorized by a commercial finger vein recognition device.

The Tabula Rasa video proves the importance of a secure enrollment process in assuring that the enrolled subject is properly authorized to use the system, as well as that the subject uses the system properly and is not presenting a spoofed image for enrollment.

Researchers Dr. Pedro Tome, Matthias Vanoni and Dr. Sebastien Marcel from IDIAP Research Institute demonstrate in the video how many conventional biometric techniques, such as fingerprints and face, can be vulnerable to spoofing attacks.

The video first shows a properly enrolled person inserting his index finger into the finger scanner to be correctly identified, as indicated by a green light on top of the sensor.

It shows how enrollment of a spoofing sample can be applied to the system using a forged image of the enrolled person’s vein pattern, printed on 80g paper, applied to another person’s middle finger with scotch tape.

After three takes, the spoofing finger vein is correctly recognized. The same procedure is applied to other fingers and is successfully in every case.

In contrast, the ring, middle and little fingers of the actual enrolled person is rejected by the system.

A disclaimer at the beginning of the video explains that the researchers only “tested one specific device and it does not mean all vein scanners are vulnerable in the same way.”

Launched last year, the Tabula Rasa consortium is funded by the European Commission and aims to address issues of spoofing attacks on biometric systems.

Want to learn more about spoofing? Attend the Kick-Off of the Swiss Center for Biometrics Research and Testing in November this year where spoofing and anti-spoofing will be an active subject of discussion between the partners. The Swiss Center for Biometrics Research and Testing is part of Idiap Research Institute.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  finger vein scanning  |  scanner  |  spoofing  |  TABULA RASA  |  vein recognition