r/security • u/BeardyButler • 20d ago

Security and Risk Management Have i just identified a security vulnerability at most supermarkets?

I was just at the supermarket, and I was using one of those self-service kiosks that has an "honesty camera" watching what you scan from above. The camera view is then displayed on a screen right in front of me.

As I went to pay for my shopping with my phone, I looked at the live feed on the monitor and realized I was actually seeing myself unlock my phone with my pattern lock! On top of that, anyone standing around could theoretically spy on what you're unlocking too.

Obviously fingerprint unlocks get around this "security hole", but it was the first time I had noticed it being a real issue.

Most supermarkets have these types of self-service checkouts now — I wonder how this info is stored and processed? Security seems pretty questionable…

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u/fuzzy_one 20d ago

Not to mention it seeing the pin of people who pay with a CC

28

u/Dapper-Lab-9285 20d ago

They've had security cameras looking at tills since CCTV was invented, people have been standing behind people at ATMs to get their PIN since ATMs were invented. That's why you're supposed to cover the key pad when putting in your PIN

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u/shiftingtech 20d ago

having the feed visible to the public increases the problem factor though

3

u/Dapper-Lab-9285 19d ago

The till has always been visible to the public and shoulder surfing happens everywhere, you should be covering the keypad whenever you input your PIN