Does Windows remember the PIN of Virtual Smart Card (VSC) in memory?
I created a Virtual Smart Card in a Windows 8.1 laptop which is in Domain environment, and I created two certificates associated with the VSC, one for Windows log-in, the other for EFS file encryption.
Scenario 1: If I log on Windows with a regular Domain credential NOT using the VSC, then when I first need to encrypt or decrypt a file VSC will prompt me for PIN. Subsequent attempts will not ask for PIN.
Scenario 2: If I log on Windows using VSC by entering PIN, then any EFS operation in the Windows session will not ask me for PIN, although the certificate for log-in Windows and the certificate for EFS are not the same one.
Questions: Does Windows remember the VSC PIN in memory in any of these scenarios? My concern is that a cold-boot memory attack may steel the VSC PIN if it is stored somewhere in the memory. Or is it the smart card / VSC itself not Windows that memorizes my PIN? If it is the smart card not Windows that memorizes my PIN, what makes it "forget" my PIN when I log off from a Windows session?
Thanks for explanations that help me gain deeper insight to the VSC.
