The Google Pixel comes with a feature that allows users to unlock the smartphone using a voice command. Named Trusted Voice, users only need to say "OK Google" to access their device if the feature is activated.
While Trusted Voice sounds cool, security researchers have flagged the feature as a potential issue due to the multitude of ways that it can be used against the owner of the Google Pixel.
How Hackers Can Trick Trusted Voice
TrustedSec and Binary Defense Systems founder Dave Kennedy discovered that he could use a recording of his voice to unlock his Google Pixel through the feature. This presents the vulnerability of an attacker to breach the lock of a Google Pixel device by acquiring a recording of the voice of the smartphone owner, having him or her say the words "OK" and "Google" and then editing the recording to combine the two words.
In addition, hackers who are savvy with audio tools could be able to mimic a user's voice from scratch to bypass the lock of a Google Pixel smartphone. Law enforcement would also be able to access the contents of the device by legally requiring subjects to say "OK Google" to unlock the Google Pixel, according to George Washington University law professor Orin Kerr.
Perhaps the greater risk associated with Trusted Voice on the Google Pixel, however, is the fact that it is enabled by default on the smartphone. The feature can be found on other Android smartphones, but it was not activated by default, with users having to go into the Settings menu of their devices to turn it on.
With the Google Pixel, the Trusted Voice feature is a part of the setup process of acquiring a new unit. There is the option for users to disable the feature right during setup, but it is entirely possible that excited users will simply activate the feature in a hurry to start using the Google Pixel.
How To Protect Yourself
For users to protect themselves from the security problems presented by Trusted Voice, there is no choice but to deactivate the feature no matter how cool it is to be able to unlock the Google Pixel using a voice command.
To deactivate Trusted Voice, users will need to go to the Settings menu of the Google App, access the Voice menu and disable "OK Google" detection. This would force users to unlock the Google Pixel using the boring but ultimately much safer methods of either a PIN or a password.
In other news, if you are one of the eager Google Pixel customers who are affected by shipment delays, Google might be offering you $50 worth of Google Play credit.
