Load time security verification

Abstract

Modern multi-application smart cards can be an integrated environment where applications from different providers are loaded on the fly and collaborate in order to facilitate lives of the cardholders. This initiative requires an embedded verification mechanism to ensure that all applications on the card respect the application interactions policy. The Security-by-Contract approach for loading time verification consists of two phases. During the first phase the loaded code is verified to be compliant with the supplied contract. Then, during the second phase the contract is matched with the smart card security policy. The paper focuses on the first phase and describes an algorithm for static analysis of the loaded bytecode on Java Card. The paper also reports about implementation of this algorithm that can be embedded on a real smart card. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.