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Something somewhat useful - using bank cards

After a looong hiatus there is finally some first usable function: Using a GeldKarte (be it a "white" one - independant of a bank account, or one associated with and contained in a bank card) as a provider of a key file.

Usage

The plugin adds a key provider "SmartCard": if this is selected in the master key dialog, then the available readers are searched as soon as you press the OK button, and a key is read from the first usable card found.... read more

Posted by Martin Hofmann 2015-09-09 Labels: GeldKarte Asynchronous Card

Geek Toys! - The Day After

The chip cards came indeed with no indication whatsoever of the IC type. But at least I was already able to use the CT-API library (by OMNIKEY, matching the OMNIKEY reader in my FSC KBPC CX keyboard) to read the cards; this can be done using the "[Inter-Industry Commands for Interchange][iic]" of ISO 7816-4 – in this case, A4 SELECT FILE and B0 READ BINARY, among some others. The CT-API did also detect and report that the card reader has a "keyboard" as an additional "Functional Unit", which is correct: the reader in my FSC PC-KBCX keyboard is able to physically "take over" the num pad of the keyboard in order to use a "Secure PIN Entry" method. (But I did not yet manage to trigger this SPE operation ...).

[iic]: http://www.cardwerk.com/smartcards/smartcard_standard_ISO7816-4_6_basic_interindustry_commands.aspx... read more

Posted by Martin Hofmann 2014-04-15 Labels: ct-api synchronous iso 7816 storage card memory card

Geek Toys!

The other day I ordered a pack of 5 chip cards for little money: It was a quick decision, as all other online sellers I could find would only accept orders of 100 or more cards - even if the offer did not say more than "Siemens cards, 256 byte, freely programmable". I guess the "freely programmable" feature is marketing speak, and expect the cards to be storage cards of the SLE4432 type or similar.... read more

Posted by Martin Hofmann 2014-04-14 Labels: card storage card

A New Old Compiler

So my "port" to VC++ 7.1 was nearly done, only in two instances I could not work around some constructions in the sources that my old compiler just would not understand.

After pestering the KeePass forum with my problems I immediately got responses from Bill Rubin and Dominik Reichl - himself; accepting my proposed changes into the KeePass code. - That's the developer support I had hoped for! :-)... read more

Posted by Martin Hofmann 2014-04-13 Labels: source code C++ VS2008 VS2010 VS2003 MFC

Pudding Time! - The Plate is Set

Or nearly so :-)

But the code so far is indeed a good baseline for further work, as I hope. Here's what I have:

  • A common source tree where both the plugin and the KeePass application live, and

  • where they both can be built and debugged in one go.

  • All KeePass SDK source files (version 1.27) needed to build the plugin (or any plugin) are included,

  • but only these: the full KeePass source distribution needs to be inserted if one wants to build KeePass too,... read more

Posted by Martin Hofmann 2014-04-11 Labels: repository VS2003 VS2008 POSC KeePass 1.27

Pudding Time? - Back-Porting Time!

To study how KeePass processes the user's password, the key file, and the key provided by the plugin, I need the ability to step through both the KeePass application (in it's current version, 1.27) and the KeeChipCard plugin in the Visual Studio debugger.

While this is no problem at all using Visual Studio 2008, at home I only have my old VS 2003 .NET version. This creates some hassles I have to deal with first:... read more

Posted by Martin Hofmann 2014-04-09 Labels: source code repository Visual Studio Visual C++ Porting

Pudding Time!

As the saying goes: The proof is in the pudding (or plugin, in our case ...).

Having the plugin skeleton (from the KeyProviderTest code sample) ready in the repository, and a plan in my mind (and in the project wiki) about what cryptographic steps are required, I think it is time to flesh out the source code a bit.... read more

Posted by Martin Hofmann 2014-04-06 Labels: source code repository concept cryptography

Ideas from (Good!) Questions - New Crypto Concept

In the KeePass forum, Paul asked me some interesting questions and made suggestions for the plugin, which brought me to think about the cryptographic aspects of the KeeChipCard plugin once more; while striving for a concept that is both secure (meaning: as secure as possible given the use of "dumb" memory cards) and convenient for the user.

And I think I have a quite nice solution now, which has all the right properties:... read more

Posted by Martin Hofmann 2014-04-06 Labels: cryptography concept plugin use case security

Chip Card Documentation

I have been interested in using a card reader (through self-written applications) for some time. And I have accumulated during this time a collection of chip card relevant documentation: Specifications, API documentation and so on.

I have packaged (some of) this stuff into several ZIP archives and uploaded them into the Files section of this project.... read more

Posted by Martin Hofmann 2014-04-06 Labels: chip card api standard iso documentation vendor

Embryonic Repository

The first step I took to learn about KeePass plugins was to have a look at the "official" [Sample Plugin][spi]. I only had to "backport" the Visual Studio project files (I use the venerable 2003 version), and the plugin was up and running!

Albeit not doing much, or more specific: doing nothing. (Which is of course intended, of course!)

These few lines of code seemed to be a reasonable starting place, and after some global substitutions I already got a repository with a compiliable plugin having the right name!... read more

Posted by Martin Hofmann 2014-04-06 Labels: repository source code sample code msvc

Starting the project

After posting a short proposal in the KeePass forum, I thought it would be best to set up a SourceForge project right now, so that the thing (a) gets a name and (b) has a place where notes, documentation, and discussions can be kept together.

It turned out that the obvious name for the plugin, "KeeCard", was already taken - by a [project][kc] created by [Chris Peterson][cp]. That project really didn't get far and seems dead for a year now, but is still labelled to be in Planning stage. Hope this is not a bad omen ...... read more

Posted by Martin Hofmann 2014-04-06 Labels: Chitchat