History of Decrypting Question...

[◙Olly_OrbitΘ]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2002/06/17/BU169357.DTL

Patrick doesn't consider himself a pirate, nor does he feel guilty about pulling down free Satellite TV signals for the past two years....

...The Bay Area resident, who did not want his full named published, uses a computer to descramble the TV signals beamed down from outer space, bringing him an unlimited selection of movies, sports and news...

Sorry if this question will sound newbish to you all, but I'm a beginner to all of this. By searching through these forums, I have come to the conclusion that decrypting is not always easy and that you can't decrypt all signals, especially major networks and movie channels, but then when I do some searching through the internet I find articles saying how people have been able to get loads of movies and channels by feeding the signal through their computer or some alternative cracking method. I am wondering this, but, are DBS Satellite signals easier to decrypt than Non-DBS signals? Or are they both equally as hard or one harder than the other?

>Thanks for any feedback

 

[Channel Hopper]

If you search for posts on Emulatorek (latest is apparently 10a) you will find some people with a fast enough processor can easily work on signals from space

It requires some understanding of the receiver and encryption process, but can be rewarding (allegedly)

 

[◙Olly_OrbitΘ]

So what your saying is that these people who take the time to learn more about decrypting and who have a fast enough computer, can, through patience and a lot of work, be able to decrypt safe encryption methods?

 

[Channel Hopper]

No encryption is safe. Its a game of cat and mouse between
1) the broadcaster and the budget spent on the latest algorithm and depolyment, and 2) a disjointed group of hackers/competitors/single viewers that cannot, or have no intention to subscribe.

The latter will have at their disposal, time , patience and an ever increasing arsenal of microprocessing power, along with the encrypted signal. Methods / tools employed in persuit of the grail are, reverse engineering, multiple level cryptography, and most importantly the internet.

 

[marcoh64]

@Olly
The most used PC based emulations you can have a look at are:
- Emulatorek (strong in decrypting Nagra, for use in a Freecam)
- LCE (Linux Card Emulator, used on a linux boot diskette on any normal PC)
- WCE (Windows Card Emulator, a to windows platform migrated and improved version of LCE)
- Wallbanger (more a logger then an emulator)

Like Channel Hopper said it is a cat and mouse game. Providers will implement new security, hobbyists will try to break it. Sometimes it is easier to break an encryption using a PC, because it has much more posibilities then a Card (more processing power, more memory).

Downside (downside???) to these PC based emulators are that most of them are really hobbyist tools and you will need to know what you are doing to use them. Also for some people it is a problem that the PC will have to be conected to the receiver with a wire and a so called Season interface.

A season interface is a circuitboard, inserted into the receiver instead of a nowmal Card, with a serial connection to the PC. All communication that the receiver tries to send to the card, is now send to the PC through the serial connection, and the emulator software give back the same signals to the receiver that a "normal card" would have done. That is basically how it works.

 

[Razor]

@ marcoh64

Nice Post.

 

[marcoh64]

Don't mind my spelling

Only if you don't mind mine ;)

But thx

 

[drag0nfly_69uk]

john mccormack used to have a black book on hacking satellites, dont know if it's still avaible. i borrowed mine from the local library all those years ago and that what makes me hooked on satellites (decrypting)

those were the days when sky was free

 

[◙Olly_OrbitΘ]

I've seen channels with multiple encryptions on them. How do hackers get through multiple encryptions, that seems near impossible if possible at all? And if they have done it already, how much time did it take altogether?

 

[rolfw]

That is known as simulcrypting, you can watch the channel in any one of the listed encryptions. This is to get around people having different receivers and CAMs, so you only need to crack one of them.

 

[◙Olly_OrbitΘ]

Oh, thanks rolfw for clearing that up for me.

[edit] sorry, started new thread but meant to edit this.

 

[Channel Hopper]

That is known as simulcrypting, .... so you only need to crack one of them.

I think you mean 'subscribe to only one of them' ?

 

[◙Olly_OrbitΘ]

Oh, thanks rolfw for clearing that up for me.

[EDIT]: I saw one channel that had Irdeto1 and Irdeto2. So what your saying is that if someone cracked either one, they could watch the channel. If so, then why would a lesser encryption, Irdeto1, be put along along with a newer encryption, Irdeto2, on the same channel?

 

[Channel Hopper]

Irdeto1 - already available to most with legit and suspect cards - Irdeto 2, rumoured in certain countries , but really only on official cards

There is a logging system that allows simultaneous data to be sent to more than one STB by the net, and viewing by the participants from the
one subscription. Probably the way to go for most.

How did you get on with your satellite dish Olly, or have you not got the chainsaw out yet ?

 

[◙Olly_OrbitΘ]

Still trying to figure out a suitable place and work out some of my assets, but I'm not sure if I should go through with a satellite under my current circumstances.

Btw, what does STB mean & also what does the term logging mean? I also found myself a little confused by your post, probably because I don't have much knowledge on the subject as of now.