What type of attacks occurs when normal physical conditions are altered in order to gain access to
sensitive information on the smartcard?
A.
Physical attacks
B.
Logical attacks
C.
Trojan Horse attacks
D.
Social Engineering attacks
Explanation:
Physical attacks occur when normal physical conditions, such as temperature, clock
frequency, voltage, etc, are altered in order to gain access to sensitive information
on the smartcard. Most smartcard operating systems write sensitive data to the EEPROM
area in a proprietary, encrypted manner so that it is difficult to obtain clear text
keys by directly hacking into the EEPROM. Other physical attacks that have proven to be
successful involve an intense physical fluctuation at the precise time and location
where the PIN verification takes place. Thus, sensitive card functions can be performed
even though the PIN is unknown. This type of attack can be combined with the logical
attack mentioned above in order to gain knowledge of the private key. Most physical
attacks require special equipment.