SIM access from J2ME (deploy SIM application)

[scaram46]

Is it possible to use an J2ME application which is located in the mobile phone to access the SIM card? I have a program which is developed with SIM Application Toolkit and want deploy it on the SIM. The J2ME application should be the installer to deploy the SIM application.

I have heard that only network providers have control about deploying SIM applications. (They can use OTA). Another way could be to use a SIM card-writer.

Is there a way to deploy SIM applications without help of network provider or additional hardware?

scaram

[hartti]

If the phone supports JSR-177 (SATSA) and APDU package of that, then yes.

Although there are a number of security and access control hurdles which needs to be solved. First of all your MIDlet needs to be signed. And as you seem to want to use a Sim Application Toolkit app, you need to have your MIDlet signed to operator domain.
Then the SIM card needs to have all command APDUs (which you want to send to the SIM card) listed in its access control list.

So good relations to the SIM card provider is needed.

Hartti

[GattusoMatrazzi]

Is there a dependency/limitations/or difference on the type of sim card you are developing for?

[hartti]

What do you mean? Accessing the SAT using SATSA API? That requires operator signing. And also all of the command APDUs which need to be sent to the SAT needs to be pre-listed in the Access Control Lists on the SIM card.

But I might have misunderstood your question....

Hartti

[GattusoMatrazzi]

Oh i see..

um, tlaking about sim cards, are there different versions or types of sim cards?

[hartti]

Yes there are differences in SIM cards. I am no expert on that, but there are cards with different amount of memory. Also most of the SIM cards are Java Cards, but apparently not all of them (learned this from a colleague from Sun).

Hartti

[petrib]

SIM Application Toolkits and SIM cards were invented before Sun invented the JavaCard stuff and all SIM card manufacturers (at least not for all of their cards) have apparently not licenses JavaCard technology from Sun (i.e., Sun does not have a SIM card monopoly).

[zakhooi]

Is there any way to read the access control list from the SIM, or do you have to get it from the provider?

[hartti]

I do not know of any method of reading the ACL from the SIM. Contact the operator in question (although I guess it might be hard to find the right person from the operator to answer that question...)

Hartti

[dpatino]

The ACL (if set) should be accessible without any special authorization, but not from SATSA, you must do it from a card reader.
If there is a PKCS-15 application in the SIM, there may also be an ACL.
Select the PKCS-15 application.
Read the file 0x5031.
And read any file reference tagged as 0xA7.
In those files there may be a reference to Access Control Index Files.

Take into account that all these files are DER-encoded.

[friths]

dpatino
Thnx for the detailed explanation

[sharmapranav]

If the phone supports JSR-177 (SATSA) and APDU package of that, then yes.

Although there are a number of security and access control hurdles which needs to be solved. First of all your MIDlet needs to be signed. And as you seem to want to use a Sim Application Toolkit app, you need to have your MIDlet signed to operator domain.
Then the SIM card needs to have all command APDUs (which you want to send to the SIM card) listed in its access control list.

So good relations to the SIM card provider is needed.

Hartti

Hartti, considering that the Midlet is being developed in a Wireless ToolKit simulator, what shall be the name of security element (SE) if I want to use SATSA to communicate with Sim Application Toolkit? Because SATSA requires a security element identifier for any communication with smart card application.