YubiKey NEO Composite Device

David Maples

David Maples

2 minute read

The YubiKey NEO differs from the standard YubiKey as it can become a composite USB device – presenting both a HID (Keyboard) and CCID (SmartCard) device to the host.  This allows us to support all the great features of the standard YubiKey and add new support for SmartCard functions.  Our last NEO post described the OpenPGP NEO App that ships with the production YubiKey NEO.

In this post, we want to describe how to control how the YubiKey NEO presents itself to the host computer.

We ship the YubiKey NEO with just the HID (keyboard) USB device enabled.  We did this to maximise compatibility with the YubiKey Standard and the pre-production YubiKey NEO – neither of which support SmartCard functions.  To enable the OpenPGP SmartCard function, you need to configure the YubiKey NEO to switch on the CCID interface.  So far, we have updated the ykpersonalize command line to support the “-m” switch; this controls the composite modes the YubiKey NEO exhibits. Be careful, you can use the -m command to remove HID support; as ykpersonalize only works with the HID interface, this means you cannot use ykpersonalize anymore if you remove HID support.  We have added the tool ykneo-ccid-modeswitch which allows you to enable HID if it gets removed!

Here are the common modes:

  • -m0  HID (OTP) mode
  • -m1 CCID (OpenPGP only – no OTP) – warning – you cannot use ykpersonalize after this setting!
  • -m2 HID & CCID Only (OTP & OpenPGP)
  • -m82 HID & CCID (OTP and OpenPGP) EJECT Flag set – allows SmartCard and OTP concurrently.
  •  (Updated: 9/28/2015; You can enable CCID, OTP, and U2F with -m86 on YubiKey NEOs with 3.3 firmware or higher.)

The EJECT_FLAG (0x80) operates as follows:

  • with mode 1 with the EJECT_FLAG set, when touching the button the NEO will “eject” the smart card, making it unavailable to the host, when touching again it will be “inserted” again.
  • with mode 2 with the EJECT_FLAG set, when touching the button the NEO will “eject” the smart card, send the OTP from the HID interface and then “insert” the smart-card.
, , ,
Talk to our teamTalk to our team

Share this article:
  • CEO Corner: Entering the second half of 2025 with momentumAs we continue to move further into the second half of 2025, I want to share a look back at our journey so far this year and as well as lay out Yubico’s strategic path ahead.  Resurgence in order growth and key segment wins While net sales declined for Q2, the end of the quarter […]Read moreCEOCEO CornerEarningsMattias Danielsson
  • Survey says: Your dog’s name isn’t a passwordWe all know we should be protecting our digital lives, but what are Americans actually doing? Yubico recently commissioned a survey, conducted by Talker Research, which asked 5,000 Americans in 10 major metro cities across the U.S. about their online security habits. Here’s a closer look at what they found (hint: they’re not as secure as they […]Read moreCompany Newssurvey
  • Passkeys are winning, but security leaders must raise the barPasswords are on their way out. In their place is a new form of login called passkeys that promises stronger security and less frustration. All passkeys offer the rare combination of improved usability and stronger security, especially when compared to passwords alone. But unless we act now, millions could be left more vulnerable than ever. […]Read moreDevice-bound passkeysHardware passkeypasskeyssynced passkeys
  • Your top YubiKey questions, answeredOver the 10+ years I’ve been at Yubico, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting customers, partners and many others talking about digital security. While every conversation is different, I am often asked many of the same questions about YubiKeys. One thing remains consistent: many people know they need better security, but they’re not sure what […]Read moreFAQYubiKey