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Hackers Clone E-Passport

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the thank-heavens-for-black-hat dept.

mrops writes "I guess the skeptical Slashdot community always knew that e-passports are a big waste of time and money; now German security consultants have been able to successfully clone e-passports, even onto building access cards. FTA: 'The whole passport design is totally brain damaged,' Grunwald says. 'From my point of view all of these RFID passports are a huge waste of money. They're not increasing security at all.'"

4 of 185 comments (clear)

  1. This isn't news. by 4815162342 · · Score: 5, Informative

    While the headline sounds scary, when you examine it closer, this isn't really surprising. The ability to copy the passport is not the issue here. The key point of the technology was to have the issuing government digitally sign the information contained in the passport. This means that a forger cannot simply tip-ex out the name and and put in a new one ;-) The article did not mention if the German passport contains bio-metric data. i.e. a digital copy of the photo. This combined with a digital signature of the photo would make the system very secure indeed. The passport inspector simply scans the data and compares the photo to the person standing before him. I don't see how this "hack" compromises the security of the system, except in cases where the inspecting authority misuses or misunderstands the basis of security in the system.

    --
    There are only 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary and those who don't!
  2. Re:I've got one by Lurker187 · · Score: 5, Informative

    I believe that those anti-static bags that many computer boards come in will block an RFID signal. They certainly look exactly like the bag I was given with my RFID remote toll-paying tag, and putting the tag in the bag supposedly blocks it from being read.

    (What, you don't have any old computer parts in their original anti-static bags?!? That's it, no /. for you! ;) )

    --
    [command INSERTWITTYQUIP failed: insufficient wit]
  3. Re:I've got one by plantman-the-womb-st · · Score: 5, Informative

    Nope, the keys for my marina are RFID and I tested this very thing. The machine read the card as usual.

    --
    Say bad words about my book, in cold oatmeal, or I shall sue!
  4. Re:I've got one by chownrus · · Score: 5, Informative

    I think this will meet your needs: http://www.emvelope.com/products