U-turn to Java Card Byte Code Verification

Java is the ideal development platform for mobile code systems. It ensures application portability and mobility for a variety of platforms, while providing strong security features. The intermediate code (byte code) allows us to verify statically (i.e. during loading phase) that the program is trustworthy. This is done by a software security module called the byte code verifier. Given the complexity of the verifier, Java Card products are not supplied with one. Alternatives are being studied to provide the same functionality outside the card. In the present paper, we propose to integrate the entire verifier in the smart card. This ensures that the smart card will be entirely autonomous. We propose a verifier with an operating system development approach, i.e. seeking to optimise the use of hardware resources specific to smart card. Our experimental results confirm the feasibility of such a security system implemented in a smart card.