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RFID's Virulent FutureBy CXOtoday StaffMumbai, Mar 16, 2006

A group of European researchers have demonstrated that it is possible to insert a software virus into RFID tags, part of a microchip-based tracking technology in growing use in commercial and security applications.

In a paper entitled "Is Your Cat Infected with a Computer Virus" scientists Melanie

Rieback, Runo Crispo and Andrew Tanenbaum from Vrije University in Amsterdam have demonstrated the possibility to infect a tiny portion of memory in the chips that is frequently large enough to hold only 128 characters of information.

The proof-of-concept, self-replicating virus developed by the researchers uses RFID tags as a vector to compromise backend RFID middleware systems, via a SQL-injection attack. While the researchers claim to have tested their virus to attack multiple backend databases (MySQL, Postgres, Oracle, SQL Server), the paper gives details about the virus implementation that targets Oracle and Apache Server-Side Includes (SSIs) only. The authors have mentioned that this was done because of space constraints, and promise to release details of the non-Oracle variants in a subsequent paper.

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Do you see RFID security getting out of control in the near future?

The possibility of using RFID tags as a vector for such attacks was previously considered impossible due to the power and memory constraints of the tags. However, the researchers rubbish this viewpoint as nothing more than a product of wishful thinking. Their paper discusses a list of characteristics peculiar to RFID installations that make them outstanding candidates for exploitation by malware.

Fortunately the researchers claim that the threat of infection can be countered using standard measures. Rieback stresses that developers must check their RFID systems, and implement safety procedures and secure programme technology. Although these counter measures will curb the threat posed by RFID viruses, extra time, money and effort will need to be spent on implementing them. It is therefore imperative that RFID system developers and users check the security of their systems now, before they are put to large-scale use.

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