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Attacking Middleware with the Air Interface

By Frank Thornton
From How to Cheat at Deploying and Securing RFID

Attacking Middleware with the Air Interface

By nature, RFID tags are dumb devices. Upon query from a reader, they reply with an identifier, usually a number or short string that is used to uniquely identify the tag and the item it is attached to. The real brains of any RFID deployment is in the middleware and backend systems.

In most given deployments, the backend is usually a database that provides an interface for users to obtain meaningful data.

The system will not work without middleware, and the database application will not be functional if it cannot place data into it. A reader spits out numbers or strings with no real form; therefore, a database needs a piece of middleware to translate between the reader and the database, which is usually done through an application that interacts with the tag. The middleware application then plays fill in the blank when talking to the database, creating SQL statements and inserting the relevant information into the right place.

If an RFID deployment is for an airline baggage tracking system, the name of the owner of the bag (or an ID number referencing the owner), the flight number, and the destination airport code may be written to the tag at check in. As the luggage moves through the airport s baggage system, RFID readers track its position to make sure it gets where it is supposed to go. The reader queries the tag as it goes by, essentially starting a conversation between the tag, the...

Copyright Elsevier Inc. 2007 under license agreement with Books24x7
Products & Services
RFID Chips
RFID Chips, or radio frequency identification chips use radio signals to transmit data over short distances.  They are typically used for security, tracking and identification applications.  RFID Chips can be paired with other circuitry to create a RFID tag or reader.
Phone Switchboards
Phone switchboards are used for routing telephone calls and adding advanced features to telephone systems.
Middleware
Middleware is software that allows otherwise separate software components or applications to share data.
RFID Readers
RFID readers communicate with RFID tags via radio waves. They also send information in digital form to a computer system.
RFID Tags
RFID tags are microchips that attach to an antenna and are designed to receive signals from and send signals to RFID readers. They are sometimes called transponders.
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