Extending ISO/IEC 14443 Type A Eavesdropping Range using Higher Harmonics

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 show an approach, using higher-order harmonics to eavesdrop the data transmitted from a transponder to a RFID-reader (uplink). Practical distances for eavesdropping on higher-order harmonics are measured for exemplary ISO/IEC 14443 type A transponder and reader configurations in different environments.