Some Technical Details of NADRA Smart Card

The first and foremost task for discovering about this card was to have a Smart Card reader which could read this SNIC. I searched for a smart card reader in local market, but couldn't find it anywhere. Since I needed it for my FYP, I decided to import it. I selected ACR38U-IPC smart card reader. how I imported it and how much it cost me, that's another story to tell.

Finally, I received the smart card reader and attached it to PC, installed drivers etc. Then I inserted my SNIC into the reader, to my happiness,  SNIC was detected by windows as a new hardware and it tried to install its driver which succeeded by updating from internet. then I was able to see the smart card in device manager. here's a snap:

so, as you can see, it's "Oberthur ID-One Cosmo v7.0 128K" card. once I and you know this, then it becomes easy to find more details about this card.

this is the ATR (Answer To Reset) of this card:
3B DB 96 00 80 B1 FE 45 1F 83 00 31 C0 64 B0 FC 10 00 07 90 00 05
Protocol T=1
See the ATR Analysis

if you google for this card, you will find a lot of stuff. I will mention some basics and give the links to documents I've found about this card. the major challenge was to identify what actually this card is. that I've done and also I'm providing all the documents I found about this card so now it should be easy for anyone interested to study about this card and be able to develop applications for this. I will be sharing documents specific to this card only, for general knowledge about smart cards, java smart cards, there is lot of stuff available online.

So, our SNIC is a Java card. it has a processor, memory etc. it's like a small computer which is powered on and runs when it's inserted into a smart card reader. the features we have heard of about this card, such as that this card will be used as ATM card, driving license etc. these features are actually installed in this card in the form of small java functions which are known as Java Applets. to communicate with SNIC and get/give data to it, we must know the names of these Java functions and some parameters.
it's also possible to develop your own Java Applet and put it into the SNIC using smart card reader/writer.

A good news is that a few days ago I have discovered a Smart Card Reader keyboard which can read the SNIC (I think it is only reader and not writer). it's available in local market. actually these are branded keyboards which come as scrap to Pakistan. it looks like the image below. you should get one like this in Rs. 250-300 if you don't tell the shopkeeper that you want to use it for a special purpose because most of them are blackmailers. right now people don't even know the use of this keyboard, but as soon as the news spreads, this keyboard will become rare and very costly.

here are some of the documents. there will be another post describing the use of similar smart card in many other countries and we'll see their documentation, applications etc. it will help understand about this card. everyone is encouraged to find out more about this and share with me and others as well.

Cosmo Smartcard Range
Java Card 

www.AuraSofts.com 

NADRA Smart Card & General Public

Unlike other blogs, I'm not posting the same copy-paste stuff.
This blog is to discuss the technical aspects of this smart card, help the people related to IT and engineering make use of this smart card and develop applications using this card. I will share whatever I discover about this card.

I was already working with NADRA CNIC to develop an application, then I heard about this new smart card and applied for it on the very first day of opening. I have received my card.

The interesting thing is that NADRA people doesn't seem to be willing that general public gets to know about nitty grityy of this card. One reason I have figured out is that if general public knows about the technicalities of the card, they will start developing applications for it and NADRA and Gov't would have to accept and implement those applications. This way, any IT and Engineering professional can come into this competition and get benefits if he develops a good application. That would be the last thing some officials in NADRA and Gov't want to happen. What they want is, keep the general public away from such competition, only let their desired persons and contractors build the applications and do the "monkey division" of benefits among themselves.

People of Pakistan must embrace the fact that there are surely some people in the Elite Class who deliberately want to keep you ignorant so that they can enjoy all the luxuries. If general public becomes aware of such things, there are some people whose luxuries would be in danger because they can't compete the real talent of this Nation.

I'm not making these allegations without any ground. I have tried to know about the smart card from NADRA, they say you are not allowed to do any such thing as developing applications using smart card. I was confused whether I should cry or laugh. But I didn't give up because what that person said ensured me that I'm doing something good. Therefor I've decided to fight against this by spreading whatever I know. I would request my fellow citizens to do the same.

In the next post I'll share how and where I discovered the details of Smart National Identity Card (SNIC).

by that time, there is a puzzle for the readers: Can you think of having an ATM Card which is legally yours and you need a PIN Code to use this card, but your Bank says although we know it is your card but you are not authorized to have PIN code, (which simply means you can't use the ATM Card). This is possible in Pakistan!