macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install libfreefarelocal Homebrew formula metadata
brew
Install libfreefare with Homebrew, apt, Nix, zypper
API for MIFARE card manipulations. Version 0.4.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-19.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install libfreefare-binDebian stable package indexes · libfreefare-bin · source: deb.debian.org
Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#libfreefarenixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/li/libfreefare/package.nix · source: api.github.com
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install libfreefare-developenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · libfreefare-devel · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
API for MIFARE card manipulations
Project links
Commands and aliases
- mifare-classic-format
- mifare-classic-read-ndef
- mifare-classic-write-ndef
- mifare-desfire-access
- mifare-desfire-create-ndef
- mifare-desfire-ev1-configure-ats
- mifare-desfire-ev1-configure-default-key
- mifare-desfire-ev1-configure-random-uid
- mifare-desfire-format
- mifare-desfire-info
- mifare-desfire-read-ndef
- mifare-desfire-write-ndef
- mifare-ultralight-info
history
Project history and usage
libfreefare is the nfc-tools library that raises libnfc from raw NFC reader access to convenience APIs and command-line tools for MIFARE and related RFID/NFC tags.
Project history
The project sits in the nfc-tools family and is described by its project page as an API for RFID card manipulation on top of libnfc. Its README narrows that role to MIFARE card manipulation and lists libnfc, autotools, and OpenSSL as build dependencies for Unix-like systems.
The public feature matrix documents support for common card families including FeliCa Lite, MIFARE Classic, MIFARE DESFire, MIFARE Ultralight, NTAG21x, and MIFARE Application Directory specifications. GitHub release metadata records libfreefare-0.4.0 on 2015-05-13.
Adoption history
libfreefare became useful where libnfc users wanted reusable C calls and bundled utilities instead of writing card-format details directly against the lower-level NFC stack. Its packaging across Homebrew, Debian, Ubuntu, Nix, and openSUSE reflects a small but durable audience around NFC labs, access-card tooling, and embedded experiments.
How it is used
The package installs a C library plus utilities for formatting, inspecting, and reading or writing NDEF data on MIFARE Classic, DESFire, and Ultralight cards. It is typically used with NFC readers supported by libnfc.
Why package nerds care
For package maintainers, libfreefare is a good example of a narrow hardware-adjacent library whose value comes from keeping protocol-specific card operations out of downstream applications. It also exposes the usual packaging concerns around libnfc ABI compatibility, OpenSSL linkage, and shipping command-line helpers with the library.
Timeline
- 2013-12-04: The commit tagged libfreefare-0.4.0 updated the project changelog for the 0.4.0 release.
- 2015-05-13: GitHub release metadata records libfreefare-0.4.0.
- 2015: The nfc-tools project page documents libfreefare as part of the nfc-tools project set.
Related projects
- libnfc supplies the lower-level NFC reader interface used by libfreefare.
- Other nfc-tools projects such as mfoc, mfcuk, libllcp, and nfcutils occupy adjacent NFC tooling niches.
Sources
security posture
Risk level: green
library-like package without higher-risk signals.
Risk classifier
green risk · low confidence · appliance
Why
- library-like package without higher-risk signals
Signals
- metadata:library-like
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 12 platform targets.
- Installs with 3 runtime dependencies.
- Build metadata lists 1 build dependencies.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
mifare-classic-format | cli | global executable | |
mifare-classic-read-ndef | cli | global executable | |
mifare-classic-write-ndef | cli | global executable | |
mifare-desfire-access | cli | global executable | |
mifare-desfire-create-ndef | cli | global executable | |
mifare-desfire-ev1-configure-ats | cli | global executable | |
mifare-desfire-ev1-configure-default-key | cli | global executable | |
mifare-desfire-ev1-configure-random-uid | cli | global executable | |
mifare-desfire-format | cli | global executable | |
mifare-desfire-info | cli | global executable | |
mifare-desfire-read-ndef | cli | global executable | |
mifare-desfire-write-ndef | cli | global executable | |
mifare-ultralight-info | cli | global executable |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-07-08
manager version0.4.0
manager updated2026-06-19
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://github.com/nfc-tools/libfreefare
- infoNo cached GitHub release or tag data was available.https://github.com/nfc-tools/libfreefarenone confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:libfreefare |
|---|---|
| Version | 0.4.0 |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/libfreefare |
| Homepage | https://github.com/nfc-tools/libfreefare |
| Repository | https://github.com/nfc-tools/libfreefare |
| Upstream docs | https://github.com/nfc-tools/libfreefare#readme |
| License | LGPL-3.0-or-later |
| Source archive | https://github.com/nfc-tools/libfreefare/releases/download/libfreefare-0.4.0/libfreefare-0.4.0.tar.bz2 |
| Last updated | 2026-06-19T12:31:50-07:00 |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | libnfc, libusb-compat, openssl@3 |
| Build dependencies | pkgconf |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_big_sur, arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, big_sur, monterey, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | libfreefare |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 4 |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
source database matches
Other package-manager records
Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.
Debian apt95%
libfreefare-bin 0.4.0-2.3+b1
MIFARE card manipulations binaries
https://code.google.com/p/libfreefare/
sudo apt install libfreefare-bin- Section: utils
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: libfreefare
- 3 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libfreefare
Debian apt95%
libfreefare-dev 0.4.0-2.3+b1
MIFARE card manipulations library (development files)
https://code.google.com/p/libfreefare/
sudo apt install libfreefare-dev- Section: libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: libfreefare
- 2 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libfreefare
Debian apt95%
libfreefare-doc 0.4.0-2.3
documentation for libfreefare
https://code.google.com/p/libfreefare/
sudo apt install libfreefare-doc- Section: doc
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: libfreefare
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libfreefare
Debian apt95%
libfreefare0t64 0.4.0-2.3+b1
MIFARE card manipulations library
https://code.google.com/p/libfreefare/
sudo apt install libfreefare0t64- Section: libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: libfreefare
- 3 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libfreefare
Nix95%
libfreefare
nix profile install nixpkgs#libfreefare- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libfreefare
Ubuntu apt95%
libfreefare-bin 0.4.0-2.3build2
MIFARE card manipulations binaries
https://code.google.com/p/libfreefare/
sudo apt install libfreefare-bin- Section: universe/utils
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: libfreefare
- 3 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libfreefare
Ubuntu apt95%
libfreefare-dev 0.4.0-2.3build2
MIFARE card manipulations library (development files)
https://code.google.com/p/libfreefare/
sudo apt install libfreefare-dev- Section: universe/libdevel
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: libfreefare
- 2 dependencies
- 1 optional deps
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libfreefare
Ubuntu apt95%
libfreefare-doc 0.4.0-2.3build2
documentation for libfreefare
https://code.google.com/p/libfreefare/
sudo apt install libfreefare-doc- Section: universe/doc
- Architecture: all
- Source Package: libfreefare
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libfreefare
Ubuntu apt95%
libfreefare0t64 0.4.0-2.3build2
MIFARE card manipulations library
https://code.google.com/p/libfreefare/
sudo apt install libfreefare0t64- Section: universe/libs
- Architecture: amd64
- Source Package: libfreefare
- 3 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libfreefare
zypper95%
libfreefare-devel 0.4.0-5.5
Development files for the Mifare card manipulation library
https://github.com/nfc-tools/libfreefare/
sudo zypper install libfreefare-devel- License: LGPL-3.0+
- Category: Development/Libraries/C and C++
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: libfreefare
- 3 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libfreefare
zypper95%
libfreefare-tools 0.4.0-5.5
Tools for Mifare cards
https://github.com/nfc-tools/libfreefare/
sudo zypper install libfreefare-tools- License: LGPL-3.0+
- Category: Hardware/Other
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: libfreefare
- 3 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libfreefare
zypper95%
libfreefare0 0.4.0-5.5
Library for Mifare card manipulations
https://github.com/nfc-tools/libfreefare/
sudo zypper install libfreefare0- License: LGPL-3.0+
- Category: System/Libraries
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: libfreefare
- 4 dependencies
- 2 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Libfreefare
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- av.db category and tag curation
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment