JIL

JIL -- Joint Interpretation Library

The Joint Interpretation Library (JILJILComplianceGuidelines for consistent smart card hardware attack evaluation.Click to view →) is a set of harmonized guidelines developed by European smart card certification bodies to ensure consistent evaluation of hardware attack resistance during Common Criteria security assessments. JIL provides the vulnerability scoring methodology that ITSEFs use when testing smart card integrated circuits against physical and side-channel attacks.

Attack Potential Framework

JIL's most significant contribution is its attack potential calculation methodology, which quantifies the effort an attacker needs to mount a successful attack on a smart card chip. The framework considers five factors: elapsed time (hours to months), expertise (layman to multiple experts), knowledge of the target (public to critical), window of opportunity (unnecessary to difficult), and equipment (standard to bespoke). Each attack is scored across these dimensions, and the total attack potential determines whether the chip passes or fails at a given EAL level. For smart card ICs evaluated at EAL5+ with AVA_VAN.5 (the highest vulnerability analysis level), the chip must resist attacks with a total potential rating of "high."

Scope of Evaluation

JIL guidelines cover the full spectrum of hardware attacks relevant to smart cards. Physical attacks include micro-probing (contacting internal signal lines with needles), FIB (Focused Ion Beam) circuit editing, and chemical delayering to expose circuit structures. Side-channel attacks include SPA/DPA power analysis, electromagnetic analysis (EMA), timing analysis, and photon emission analysis. Fault injection attacks include voltage glitching, clock glitching, laser fault injectionfault injectionSecurityPhysical attack inducing errors to bypass security.Click to view →, and EMFI (electromagnetic fault injection). The ITSEFITSEFComplianceAccredited lab that performs Common Criteria smart card evaluations.Click to view → must demonstrate that the chip's countermeasures (shields, sensors, randomized execution, error detection codes) defeat these attacks within the defined attack potential threshold.

Harmonization Role

Before JIL, different national certification bodies applied inconsistent vulnerability assessment criteria, meaning a chip evaluated in Germany might receive different results than the same chip evaluated in France. JIL harmonizes these assessments by providing shared guidelines, reference attack ratings, and calibration workshops where evaluators from different ITSEFs compare methodologies. This harmonization is essential for mutual recognition of Common CriteriaCommon CriteriaSecurityInternational IT security evaluation standard.Click to view → certificates across the 31 countries in the CCRA (Common Criteria Recognition Arrangement).