March 18, 2006
It reads like something out of a sci-fi novel - RFID chips with the potential to disrupt supply chains and shutdown airport operations. Unfortunately, this particular tale may be more science than fiction.
According to researchers from the Computer Systems Group of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, vulnerabilities in the RFID middleware, the databases that store the RFID chip data, could be exploitable by deliberately malformed data on the chips themselves. In "Is Your Cat Infected with a Computer Virus?", the researchers describe various scenarios in which an RFID worm could be implanted in the systems.
The reaction from those close to the RFID industry has been mixed. Some of the naysayers give arguments reminiscent of those who responded to early warnings of email threats with misguided assurances that "you can't become infected simply by reading an email."
The researchers of the controversial RFID threats, Melanie R. Rieback, Patrick N. D. Simpson, Bruno Crispo, and Andrew S. Tanenbaum, have created a website, rfidvirus.org, which provides details on RFID middleware and potential attack vectors. The website also provides tips for developers of such systems to harden the middleware apps to help prevent exploit.
A sister project, RFID Guardian, discusses a potential prototype of a mobile battery-powered device that offers personal RFID security and privacy management. The goal is to create a small, portable device that helps defend consumers from unauthorized RFID transmissions - the real world equivalent of a virtual spyware blocker.
See also:RFID Chips and Passports SpyWear: What Your Clothing Reveals SpyWear...Aisle Three Gillette Cam SpyWear World Summit Attendees Bugged
