142 lines
6.3 KiB
Plaintext
142 lines
6.3 KiB
Plaintext
|
||
|
||
========================
|
||
|
||
THE HACKERS TOOLS
|
||
|
||
========================
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
The oscilloscope is the most valuable piece of equipment to the hacker.
|
||
With this device the secrets of all but the most secure systems are laid
|
||
bare. A dual trace model is essential as normally two signals have to be
|
||
examined and compared. Television synch triggering is an advantage. A
|
||
ten megahertz bandwidth is the ideal lower limit. A few professional
|
||
hackers use digital storage oscilloscopes. While these scopes are useful,
|
||
the majority of professional hackers try to use the least amount of
|
||
equipment as possible. This may seem strange in some respects. The
|
||
system designers developed the system with high cost test equipment.
|
||
They try to make their system as secure as possible against the best
|
||
equipped hacker. They fall into the trap of thinking that they have
|
||
developed the ultimate system. By using the minimum of equipment, the
|
||
hacker forces himself to innovate. The use of the scope will be covered
|
||
later.
|
||
|
||
|
||
The next item of equipment is a video test signal generator. This device
|
||
can be cost anything form thirty pounds to three thousand pounds.
|
||
A lot of hackers rely on microcomputers to provide the test signals. There
|
||
is a disadvantage in this use of a computer. Computers generate a lot of
|
||
R.F noise and as a result the case of the computer has to be coated in
|
||
some sort of R.F shield. A suitable aerosol is available from a number of
|
||
suppliers.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Professional hackers generally use computers to provide their test signals.
|
||
This may seem strange as you would expect them to use the best possible
|
||
equipment. The computer is more versatile than an ordinary video
|
||
generator. It is almost impossible to find two identical test cards. Most of
|
||
them carry station identifiers. This fact is not of any great significance
|
||
with analogue signals but with digital encryption it can be essential. Most
|
||
digital scrambling systems are hacked during the test card period. Services
|
||
rarely scramble from the start and so the hacker has access to the test
|
||
card. The computer generates this test card and compares it to a
|
||
'snapshot" of the encrypted signal. With complex systems, the
|
||
comparison process can take up to six weeks or longer.
|
||
|
||
|
||
The next piece of equipment is the low pass filter. This is a very useful
|
||
item when the signal being examined is noisy. A cut-off frequency of one
|
||
megahertz is commonest. This unit is used to remove most of the video
|
||
information from the signal so that the synch signals can be observed.
|
||
|
||
|
||
A digital storage oscilloscope is an expensive item that a lot of hackers
|
||
cannot afford. There is a way around this problem - build a digital storage
|
||
circuit. There are basically four circuits involved an analogue to digital
|
||
converter a RAM storage circuit, a digital to analogue converter and some
|
||
triggering circuitry. A number of designs have been published in various
|
||
electronic journals so the constructional details will not be given here.
|
||
The most valuable use of the oscilloscope is in comparative analysis of
|
||
two signals. A dual trace scope is virtually essential as it is very difficult
|
||
to do any serious work with a single trace unit. Some hackers use an
|
||
oscilloscope multiplexer. One such unit is available from Thandar Ltd.
|
||
The main disadvantage of such units, after their cost, is their bandwidth.
|
||
The majority of those on the market have an upper limit of five hundred
|
||
kilohertz. This is all right for looking at synch signals but is useless for
|
||
video or high speed digital signals. When designing and building a
|
||
multiplexer the main thing to ensure is that the sampling frequency is at
|
||
least three times the maximum signal frequency. In order to make the
|
||
device as future proof as possible an upper signal frequency limit of
|
||
twelve megahertz Is recommended.
|
||
|
||
|
||
There are some hacker programs available for microcomputers. They are
|
||
aimed at the professional hacker rather than the amateur. The program
|
||
user draws the scrambled video waveform on the screen using a graphics
|
||
tablet. The program then analyses the waveform and first draws the
|
||
block diagram for the descrambler and also produces a circuit for the
|
||
descrambler. The waveform and the circuit are then stored so that a
|
||
library of scrambling systems is built up. Don't bother trying to find such
|
||
a program in any magazine or journal as they are only available through
|
||
the elite hacker networks.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Database programs are available for virtually every computer. Such a
|
||
program can be a powerful ally when it comes to storing your information
|
||
on various scrambling systems. The main headings for the information
|
||
would be system type , audio type , suppressed synch , frame inversion ,
|
||
line inversion, digital video and digital) audio. A new scrambling system
|
||
could then be checked against a list of known systems and a list of known
|
||
descrambler circuit blocks could be suggested for dealing with the system.
|
||
The template for such a database is given below. This particular format
|
||
is known to be in use by a number of the top European hacker networks.
|
||
The same type of database is used throughout these networks in order to
|
||
ensure the rapid exchange of data on any new system.
|
||
|
||
|
||
This template is also used by the Scramble Fax newsletter and as such is
|
||
a standard format. It is most commonly implemented in Database where
|
||
the user is allowed to have large text memo sections in some key points.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
===========================
|
||
HACKER'S DATABASE TEMPLATE.
|
||
===========================
|
||
|
||
System File Reference:
|
||
System Name:
|
||
Start Date:
|
||
Audio Type:
|
||
Video Inverted:
|
||
Video line Inversion:
|
||
Video Frame Inversion:
|
||
Random Line Inversion:
|
||
Alternate Line Inversion:
|
||
Alternate Frame Inversion:
|
||
Horizontal Synch Suppression:
|
||
Frame Synch Suppression:
|
||
Horizontal Synch Replacement:
|
||
Frame Synch Replecement:
|
||
Pulse Suppression:
|
||
Sine Suppression:
|
||
Line Delay:
|
||
Audio On FM Carrier:
|
||
Audio On Sideband:
|
||
Audio Spectrum Inversion:
|
||
MAC System: Digitised Audio:
|
||
DESed Digital Audio:
|
||
Origin Of System:
|
||
Media Cross References:
|
||
Pro Media References:
|
||
Other Users Of System:
|
||
Descrembler Circuit Known:
|
||
Possible Useful Circuits:
|
||
Availability Of Official Descramblers:
|
||
Custom ICs Used:
|
||
Function Of Custom ICs:
|
||
Descrembler Addressing:
|
||
|
||
|