Remember, last September, the Brazilian telecoms regulator, Anatel (Agência Nacional de Telecomunicações), invited the country’s ethical hackers to a two-day hackathon in São Paulo. The objective was then clearly assumed: “Anatel and the Hackathon Brasil community will organize the first TV Box hackathon focused on the development of innovative solutions for blocking irregular IPTV Boxes”.
A few weeks later, we know the winners of the competition, and they have been particularly creative, since they have developed a method to deactivate a target device remotely. Explanations.
How does it work?
As noted TorrentFreakthe winning team consisting of Juarez J., Aline A., Henrique A., Eduarda L., Daniel S. and Theo W created a solution that can have “a direct impact on the fight against TV decoders not approved by Anatel, guaranteeing greater security and confidentiality for users”.
One of the spokespersons, Daniel Lima, explained that the idea is to make the devices inoperable thanks to a software update created for this. It therefore differs from the revisions carried out by the official manufacturer.
This is theoretically difficult to conceive. But in Brazil it is possible, because if an Internet user tries to access a blocked site, the Internet service provider will send him to a blocking page and to a server that contains this malicious update.
The manager adds on this subject: “We were able to add code that completely disables a device. Our solution uses advanced networking capabilities to allow the box software to be modified, and the user cannot access protected content. Since Anatel controls the ISPs, it can force them to implement advanced network features that allow the box to receive a modified package..
A technique not yet used
The creators of this technique are in any case convinced of its effectiveness. Daniel Lima specifies: “When Anatel implements the solution, there will be a general failure in most of the irregular boxes that are used”.
For the moment, however, the use of this radical measure has not been confirmed by the Brazilian authorities. In any case, the winners shared the sum of 1200 dollars, or around 200 dollars each. It’s not a lot to pay if their innovation makes it possible to undermine the lucrative business of IPTV boxes.
What do you think of this idea put forward in the fight against piracy? Tell us in the comments.
