Coffee machine smart cards hacked

Belgian security researcher Polle Vanhoof figured out how to “hack” legacy Nespresso coffee vending machine smart cards to obtain free drinks, according to a story in The Register.

In a vulnerability disclosure published last week, Vanhoof described a vulnerability affecting unspecified Nespresso Pro machines in Europe equipped with a smart card reader that rely on outdated Mifare Classic cards.

The smart card payment system can be breached to add unlimited funds to purchase coffee because it relies on the Mifare Classic technology known to be insecure for more than a decade.