three blocks
Datacore Software

News

Chip and pin credit card hacking

posted on 22 February 2008 10:04

Stored data on card easily read

Identity information on your chip-and-pin card can be read by a software program.

Adam Laurie, a security expert at The Bunker Secure Hosting Ltd, has announced the release of CHaP.py software, which can read chip and pin credit and debit card information using the EMV standard. This standard, developed by Europay, Mastercard and Visa (EMV) defines the data format for credit and debit card payments.

The software can be used to get data off a card such as owner name, account number and other information. CHaP.py will be integrated into RFIDIOt, an open source library for exploring RFID devices.

Hackers and criminal organisations could use the software to clone stolen credit and debit cards.

This all seems very worrying. Chip and pin cards were suposed to be more secure. Now anyone can buy a chip and pin reader, hook it up to a Linux computer, load this software and read the card. It makes a seeming mockery of card security and will, presumably, drive another costly upgrade in card security measures and the validation of the identity of a card holder. Chip and pin and fingerprint anyone?

Related Articles