Vulnerabilities in some recently proposed RFID ownership transfer protocols

Authentication of RFID tags is commonly achieved through cryptographic means with protocols that encrypt communication between the parties of interest. There is an extensive literature in this area that address various facets associated with authentication. As RFID tags gain more popularity, there is a concomitant increase in frequency with which they (i.e., the tagged object) change ownership. There is, therefore, an urgent need to develop and evaluate protocols that address issues related to ownership transfer of RFID tags. Over the past few years, researchers have proposed several ownership transfer protocols. We consider some of the ownership transfer protocols that were published during the past year and identify present vulnerabilities.