From: wizz@bnr.ca (Boris Volk)
Subject: Re: Scrambling s_cks!
Reply-To: wizz@bnr.ca (Boris Volk)
Organization: Bell-Northern Research Ltd.
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 92 16:23:09 GMT

In article <920929.205541.CST.ELIZONDO@VMTECSLP>, ELIZONDO@VMTECSLP.BITNET (Juan R. Elizondo) writes:
|> I'm posting this because I find it interesting and maybe some of you want to
|> share your ideas.......
|> >
|> >I hope that they keep the VC II Datastream, because then we all
|> >know that someone will be able to hack it.  I'm quite interested
|> >in how piracy works, I'm taking electrical enginnerring at
|> >university right now, and want to eventually try to figure out VC
|> >II+, but I imagine they put their smartest guys on hiding the
|> >"seed"..
|> >
|> Do you really think that they are going to crack it ? The crackers are GI!!!
|> The rumor is that they WANT the system crackable so they pass the info for it.

 I think that GI has placed some traps for hackers this time out. I suspect that
they have designed the new VCII+ to descramble several "teirs" of encryption. As
soon as the hackers break the lowest tier, they will move to the next one.
 
|> 
|> >What codes do you usually get a month?  I get the test code right
|> >at the beginning, then usually CVS & VC1 within a few days.  I
|> >didn't get the codes for Request 1 & 2 until the middle of the
|> >month, when I also got the HBO & Cinemax codes.

I only have access to the auto-update keys for the comsumer stream.

|> Not many. Just those codes for the BLUE card (do you know what this colors are
|> ? I have heard of red cards, blue cards and white cards, and I guess there is a
|>  key for each of them). The general keys, and as you say, about the middle of t
|> he month, the keys for CVS, Request and VC1. Surprisingly the HBO & Cinemax wer
|> e ready in the first 10 days.

The blue card was the first version of the VCII+, it does not contain a submodule
that can be replaced if GI chooses to radically change the datastream. The red
board does have the submodule (RS) . The white board is really no different than the red MOM board. They all use the same key.
|> 
|> >The question that arises in my mind, is if these wizard codes
|> >defeat VC II+, then why haven't they ever hacked TVN or Encore?

These wizard codes will only work for the VCII stream. TVN and Encore are on the
plus stream. Even though HBO has gone dark on the consumer stream, the commercial
stream is still alive and will be until all commercial units are changed to plus
units - which may be never. The main difference between VCII and the plus stream
is where the data is being transmitted. The old stream only sent information 
during horizontal sync - the black vertical bars. the new plus boards can
receive data also during vertical sync - the black horizontal bars. The way that
both boards can work on the same channel is that for now GI is only sending
information during horizontal sync. In order for an existing VCII to even look
for data during vertical sync, it most be modified. There are efforts underway
to make old VCII boards work like plus boards with the addition of an daughter
board. If somebody can make this work he will make a lot of money. Unfortunatly
I suspect that as soon as there are enough bootleg boards around, GI will move
up the datastream requiring all these boards to get new modifications.

 GI has anounced that their Digicypher will be available within 3 years. This
will kill all the current boards - even plus boards. They will wait for their
3 year guarantee to expire on the current plus boards, then change to Digicypher
since it is HDTV compatible. So if you think that buying your plus board has
solved your problems, you all have another thing coming. I can imagine the uproar
when people who have played GI's game get screwed again.  
|> >
|> I think those codes exist, but somehow they are not passed away so easily.
|> The same thing for VC2, Request2, etc.
|> 
|> >Later...  Jim.  (jkung@acs.ucalgary.ca)
|> 
|> Jim. I find this subject so interesting that I would like to post it to the lis
|> t.
|> >PS. Do you want to share codes whenever either of us get them?  Maybe we
|> >can set up a mailing list or something.  :)

I would like to join but our system will not allow us to email in or out
|> 
|> Sure, why not!.
|> Maybe someone else would join.
|> 
|> JR.

Boris Volk