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Are NFC hardware tokens (Yubikey, NitroKey) less secure than USB-only ones? If so, how to mitigate? (thebrainbin.org)
submitted 3 months ago by to c/cybersecurity@sh.itjust.works
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Yubikey and NitroKey offer NFC and non-NFC versions of their flagship hardware security tokens (HSTs).

NFC is convenient, but can under some circumstances send e.g. challenge-response exchanges in clear text.

Smartcards using RFID, a similar though not identical protocol, can be queried from ~100cm away.

  • Are there other ways are NFC HSTs are known to be more risky than their non-NFC counterparts?
  • Should users store NFC HSTs in RFID-blocking pouches, like those used for wireless car keys or contactless bank cards?
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[–] [S] 4 points 3 months ago (1 child)

Even if you can [exploit NFC] at 1m, thats close enough that it can just be stolen from you.

Stealing the HST should not give the user a false sense of security. Not so dangerous.

Silently exfiltrating the private key (or data for a replay attack), OTOH, would leave the user with a false sense of security. Dangerous.

your link to rfidgate appears broken

Wfm. Here's an archive link.

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  • [–] 3 points 3 months ago

    The setup they have requires a pair of huge antennas, so pulling that off surreptitiously feels unlikely. They also had a controlled lab environment, so who knows how it would work in a less controlled RF space.

    Definitely cool research, but this isnt a viable attack vector IMO.

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