Vulnerability Development: Wireless Point of Sale Solutions

["Raymond C. Parks" <rcparks () comcast net>]

Interesting web-site - these use Epson hardware which comes complete with a PCMCIA 
slot.

http://www.datavantage.com/blendnews.asp?ID=50

http://www.datavantage.com/chatter.htm

Other products exist, but it is not clear in all cases whether they use 802.11b or 
something proprietary.  There are lots of wireless phone based products, also.

http://executouch.com/

http://www.w-e-commerce.com/

http://www.isit.com/IndexWIRE.cfm

http://www.1.slb.com/smartcards/wireless/posapp.html

http://www.1.slb.com/smartcards/news/00/sct_mobitex0502.html

http://www.moneris.com/shortbasic/

Not POS, but inventory management - 

http://www.barcodeus.com/

  All of the POS computers seem to have 10/100 Ethernet ports built-in.  Nearly all the 
software is WinNT or Win2K (a few lean&mean DOS systems survive).

  About Wal-Mart - a friend who worked in a local super-store informs me that only their 
inventory system uses wireless.  The registers are hardwired to a separate computer 
system.  He said he was able to access their server with ease, even though he worked 
as a stocker.

  Overall, I am not surprised at the possibility of 802.11b wireless POS systems.  I am 
surprised that they don't have at least WEP by default.