Experts warn expired credit cards can be brought back from the dead to make contactless payments

• Researchers show how an expired contactless card can still complete a real purchase because the expiry date the terminal reads is not covered by its signature
• The attack needs physical possession of the discarded card and two ordinary smartphones, and results vary per bank, with Visa cards being susceptible in testing
• Existing EMV protections can detect the relay, but they are optional and were not enabled on any card or terminal tested, and neither Visa nor the notified banks have confirmed a fix is in the works

For a layman, the date printed on a credit card looks like a hard stop, but that might not always be the case.

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst found that a 'zombie card' past its expiration date can be persuaded to complete a contactless purchase at a real checkout terminal, creating a real security threat.

The irony is that it is...

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