# Reading The Chip In Your Passport

For over a decade, most passports have contained an NFC (Near Field Communication) chip that holds a set of electronically readable data about the document and its holder. This innovation has revolutionized the passport-making process, allowing for a much quicker passage through borders as automatic barriers can replace human officials. However, this technology also adds an opaque layer to the process, leaving many questions unanswered.

Terence Eden, a curious individual, decided to investigate what data is stored on his passport's NFC chip and how he could access it. His findings might surprise you. After delving into the technical details, Eden discovered that the data on the NFC chip contains information about the document itself, such as its serial number, expiration date, and security features.

One of the most interesting aspects of the passport's NFC chip is the physical key that must be used to access the data. This key is printed on the passport and requires it to be physically opened before the chip can be read. While this adds an extra layer of security against drive-by scanning, Eden notes that it's not entirely foolproof. With enough determination, a malicious individual could potentially brute-force the key.

However, trying to access the data on the passport's NFC chip through any means other than the physical key reveals little more than what's already printed on the document. It appears that the chip is designed to be relatively simple and straightforward, making it accessible to those who know how to use it.

Eden's investigation has revealed a piece of general-purpose technical knowledge that we should all have. Despite this, there remains one pressing question: if we can read the data on a passport chip, could a passport forger create a counterfeit one? This is a topic that Eden didn't delve into, but it raises an important point about the potential security risks associated with NFC technology.

For those interested in exploring the world of NFC hacking, a handy multitool might be just what you need to get started. But before you begin, make sure you have a solid understanding of the basics – and perhaps do some research on how to protect your own passport from potential security threats.

Header: Tony Webster (CC BY-SA 4.0)