Cablecom digital codes broken by hackers // 2007-03-24 ZURICH (AFX) - Hackers have cracked encryption codes used by Swiss cable operator Cablecom and digital television technology group Kudelski SA, and released them on the internet, Sunday newspaper Sonntagszeitung reported.
'Pirates' can transfer the codes to a digital TV decoder, a so-called Dreambox DN 500c, giving them free access to a wide range of subscriber content.
Dreamboxes are legally for sale in stores.
Kudelski chief executive Andre Kudelski told the paper that the group's 'nagravision' encryption system, which has been around for six years, has also come under attack: 'We are dealing with an attack on the first generation of digital systems (using this encryption)'.
Kudelski and Cablecom intend to sue individuals breaking the law in this manner; currently four cases of criminal proceedings are pending in Switzerland.
It's alive and well where I live. There is one cable system box per block. As long as one person is subscribed for cable then everyone else on the block has the potential to access it. Just open the box and remove the particular filter for your connection. Of course this is analog cable, which will disappear in the near future.