Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology is gaining a foothold as an advanced barcode replacement, a wireless smartcard and a generic system for attaching automatically readable data to objects. Currently RFID is being used for tracking goods in supply chains, identifying vehicles in toll collection, tracking animals and storing biometric data in electronic passports – just to name a few examples. In the near future RFID tags might be commonly found on all items sold in stores and even as implants in human bodies.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a contactless identification technology that promises to revolutionize our supply chains and customize our homes and office. This paper will demonstrate that the security breaches that RFID deployers dread most — RFID malware, RFID worms, and RFID viruses — are right around the corner. RFID attacks are currently conceived as properly formatted but fake RFID data; however no one expects an RFID tag to send a SQL injection attack or a buffer overflow. Unfortunately, the trust that RFID tag data receives is unfounded. To prove our point, this paper will describe the basic design principles of RFID malware. We will provide concrete examples for several target platforms, featuring a fully illustrated specimen of a self-replicating RFID virus. Our main intention behind this paper is to encourage RFID middleware designers to adopt safe programming practices.

RFID (Radio-Frequency IDentification) is a technology for automated identification of objects and people. Human beings are skillful at identifying objects under a variety of challenge circumstances. A bleary-eyed person can easily pick out a cup of coffee on a cluttered breakfast table in the morning, for example. Computer vision, though, performs such tasks poorly. RFID may be viewed as a means of explicitly labeling objects to facilitate their "perception" by computing devices.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is the latest phase in the decades-old trend of the miniaturization of computers. RFID transponders are tiny resource-limited computers that do not have a battery that needs periodic replacement. RFID tags are inductively powered by their external reading devices, called RFID readers. Once the RFID tag is activated, the tag decodes the incoming query and produces an appropriate response by using the energy of the incoming radio wave to power the chip long enough to respond. RFID tags can do a limited amount of processing, and have a small amount (<1024 bits) of storage.

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) presents both an opportunity and a challenge in the face of these vast changes. Significant developments have brought new focus to RFID adoption and commercialization. Key market drivers include usage mandates, improving cost economics, demonstrated adoption benefits, technological advances and standards development. However, most wholesaler-distributors have not yet made RFID adoption a priority in their businesses.