Theoretical Limits of ISO/IEC 14443 type A RFID Eavesdropping Attacks

Inductively coupled ISO/IEC 14443 compliant RFID systems are used in many security-relevant applications. A key security feature is their very short range of about 10 cm. Eavesdropping attack scenarios are a well known and recognised threat for these systems. In this paper, we present a theoretical calculation of the maximum eavesdropping range of an inductive coupled reader-transponder communication with passive load modulation. Theoretical limits for eavesdropping distances are calculated for exemplary ISO/IEC 14443A transponder and reader configurations in different environments. According to our results the previously published range limits are stated as too high.