- How to read the data on smart card reader software download how to#
- How to read the data on smart card reader software download serial#
It’s true, you might only be interested in obtaining (say) raw Track 2 data, but in the process of obtaining it, you’re going to have to deal with lots of other data, too.
How to read the data on smart card reader software download serial#
You’re also obtaining a KSN (Key Serial Number), which is needed for decryption, and harvesting various kinds of metadata pertaining to the transaction. In general, you’re doing a lot more than just reading raw track data. The answer to the first question (what does magstripe data look like?) varies a lot, depending not only on the make and model of the card-reading equipment you’re using but on whether the transaction in question was done via mag swipe, dip (contact EMV), or contactless/NFC interaction. Today, card readers generally output encrypted data, over USB (often in HID mode, rather than keyboard mode), and most card readers today have to handle chip cards in addition to magnetic-stripe cards.
What does “credit card magstripe data” look like now? How can you obtain it and decode it? How do you know which parts are encrypted?
How to read the data on smart card reader software download how to#
In recent posts, I showed how to decrypt credit card data using industry-standard TDES and AES decryption algorithms in conjunction with industry-standard (ANSI X9.24) DUKPT key derivation techniques, but we didn’t talk about how to obtain decoded magstripe data in the first place. Chip card data takes the form of TLVs (tags, length, values) and can look quite a bit different from the “plain old magstripe data” of years past. Today, magstripe readers generally output encrypted data, over USB (often in HID mode, rather than keyboard mode), and most card readers today have to handle chip cards in addition to magnetic-stripe cards. The data in question would simply show up as keystrokes on a screen, unencrypted. Until recently, reading credit card data was as easy as swiping a card through a reader (such as one of the many readers made by ID TECH) and having a virtual-terminal app (or other apps) slurp up the track data as it comes straight out of the reader.