Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Cybersecurity
    • Cybersecurity

    Positive Technologies Reveals Mobile Point of Sale Device Flaws

    Written by

    Sean Michael Kerner
    Published August 10, 2018
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      LAS VEGAS—Mobile point of sale terminals are potentially at risk from multiple vulnerabilities, according to researchers from Positive Technologies.

      Leigh-Anne Galloway, cyber-security resilience lead, and Tim Yunusov, senior banking security expert at Positive Technologies, detailed their findings on mobile POS risks in a session at Black Hat USA here on Aug. 9.

      In an interview with eWEEK, the researchers provided additional insight into the risks they found across major mPOS providers in the United States and Europe, including Square, SumUp, iZettle and PayPal.

      “We found that over 50 percent of the readers that we looked at have some form of vulnerability or are vulnerable to an attack method,” Galloway told eWEEK. “All of the vendors that we looked at were affected in some way.”

      Galloway said the readers used by SumUp and iZettle could accept arbitrary commands such that an attacker could send information to the reader display. So, for example, a message could be sent to ask a card holder to swipe a credit card, instead of using a chip and pin, to carry out a transaction. Magnetic stripes are less secure than credit card chips and can potentially be read by malicious software. Additionally, Galloway said it is possible to modify the amount that is shown on the reader screen for a transaction. As such, a consumer might see a certain amount that is not the same as what is being authorized.

      “So we could send a transaction of $1 to the screen and then send a much higher amount to be authorized from a payment server,” Galloway said.

      Other vulnerabilities discovered by Positive Technologies include remote code execution on certain card readers used by Square and PayPal, including the Miura M010 Reader, that could potentially enable an attacker to capture card holder information. Galloway noted that the underlying firmware on the device has been updated by the hardware vendor to limit that risk.

      All of the mPOS attacks discussed by Positive Technologies at Black Hat involved some form of proximity. That is, an attacker has to be physically close to the mPOS device to attack it. Many of the flaws uncovered by Positive Technologies are deployed over Bluetooth, which is often not properly secured, according to Galloway.

      Galloway said Positive Technologies has responsibly disclosed all the specific vulnerabilities to the impacted vendors.

      For merchants using mobile POS devices, Galloway recommends controlling access to the devices since many of the attacks involve proximity for communication. Additionally, she suggested that merchants choose not to allow magnetic stripe credit card transactions, as they represent more risk than chip and pin.

      Sean Michael Kerner is a senior editor at eWEEK and InternetNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @TechJournalist.

      Sean Michael Kerner
      Sean Michael Kerner
      Sean Michael Kerner is an Internet consultant, strategist, and writer for several leading IT business web sites.

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×