MULTOS

MULTOS

MULTOS (Multi-application Operating System) is a high-security smart card operating system designed for multi-application deployment, notable for being the only smart card platform to achieve Common Criteria EAL 7 certification — the highest level of the evaluation scale. Developed and managed by the MULTOS Consortium (now under the MAOSCO brand), MULTOS provides an alternative to JavaCard with a different security philosophy and application model.

Architecture

MULTOS uses a three-layer architecture:

Unlike JavaCard, which uses a subset of Java bytecode, MULTOS defines its own instruction set (MEL) optimized for the constrained smart card environment. MEL bytecodes are more compact than Java bytecodes, reducing the storage footprint on EEPROM.

Security Model

MULTOS's security model differs from JavaCard / GlobalPlatform in a fundamental way: application loading is controlled by a global certification authority (the MULTOS CA) rather than by the card issuer alone. Every application must be signed by the MULTOS CA before it can be loaded onto any MULTOS card. This centralized trust model provides strong guarantees against unauthorized code execution but reduces the flexibility of issuer-managed application deployment.

Key security features:

• Application isolation: Hardware-enforced memory partitioning between applications — no application can access another's data
• Certified loading: Every application binary is signed by the MULTOS CA using RSA or ECC signatures
• Delegated management: Card issuers receive Application Load Certificates (ALCs) that authorize loading specific applications
• EAL7 certification: Formally verified design with mathematical proofs of security properties

MULTOS vs JavaCard

Deployment

MULTOS is deployed primarily in high-security payment cards (particularly in the UK and Asia-Pacific), government identity cards, and military applications where the EAL7 certification provides regulatory advantages. The platform supports EMV payment, PKI authentication, and electronic purse applications.