Monday, April 14, 2008

How to hack broadcast television

So ADAM, BOBBY & HeatVision_and_Jack are wondering how I’m managing these phreaks. Sorry my little Phreaks and Phreakets but you’d need direct access to make it happen. That said; send me your videos, if they’re good I’ll make you famous.

First off, gone are the days of being able to simply “take over” an analogue broadcast frequency and hijack the feed that way - as you can see in my earlier blog here. Everything is digital now. That makes it harder for most, but in fact, easier for me.

Basically, the tech guys here have their thumbs up their asses. New technology plus old tech staff equals wiiiiiiiiiiiide open access.

I have direct access to our digital media server (the source for all outgoing broadcasts). I wired up a custom network cable similar to a RJ-45 cross-over cable and hooked it into one of the spare networking ports. Normally these ports are disabled or at least secured but as I said earlier, this is relatively new and not everyone is up to speed from a security standpoint. Plus, I’m sure they never anticipated me.

Anyways, I ran that cable out to a standard D-link wireless router (works better with Macs than Linkys) and set up a “hidden” wifi network. Now all I need to do is park my car across the street from the building and I can upload any audio or video directly to the server. The actual tricky part is the script that automatically runs an override to the current broadcast stream at pre-set times. Coincidently these times are when I’m out of the office.

Now I can upload and inject video snippets into the main broadcast feed from my wireless laptop pretty much when ever I’m feeling a little saucy. At least for now. I’m giving this whole thing a week tops before my little work around gets discovered.

Anyway, without direct access to the server there’s no way anyone could ever hope to gain access. So sorry. But again, like I said I’ll load your stuff in if you send it to me.

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

"The actual tricky part is the script that automatically runs an override to the current broadcast stream at pre-set times."

Why does it show up on re-runs of shows then? Thats not overriding current braoscast. Thats planned on the show tapes.

No Skillz... no style... bad hurt unit.

Scooter Davenport said...

Its a viral marketing scheme for something thats gonna be incredibly lame on muchmusic.

Plus it was done during VOT, they only decent show on Much.

Stop wasting our fucking time!

Unknown said...

what on earth are you trying to protest? people seem to be under the agreement this is some sort of protest. is it lame hats and sunglasses?


i just want to know what your purpose for this is... otherwise... it's just kinda lame...

what did muchmusic ever do to harm anyone? play songs that the mainstream enjoy? they've done that for ages.. it's not their fault all the music sucks now!

just tell me why you are protesting... i am utterly baffled!

Anonymous said...

Here is an idea some of us have about this:

Alternate reality game

BabiixGirl said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
BabiixGirl said...

Why are you doing this..?

Jake said...

Any specific email we should send our videos?

Unknown said...

Hey, I was also watching video on trial, and saw the website, and was hoping it would be a little more eye opening, v for vendetta type thing, but if you're raging against the machine from the inside, then thats cool... but go for something useful? I'm glad you've found a platform/medium but there has to be more to this than just the attention now get something real to say?
Cause I'm listening.

joelf said...

Viral On Trial

Unknown said...

I just saw that during Video On Trial. SO EPIC! That made my whole life, I love hackers haha.
Cheers!

Max said...

i bet you're in their marketing department. you can fool some people sometimes, but you can't fool all the people all the time

joelf said...

According to this smartie, this is a viral for a show called Much PhreakOuts which will appear on June 15th (6/15)

Expert said...

Much was bought by Bell, if this phreak615 is real I would like to hear him say how MuchMusic has become a platform for selling an image of nonconforming conformity.

Do that and provide a video of it, and I'll believe this is real. Until then this is viral marketting.

HeatVision_and_Jack said...

if it's a promotion, as long as it's not for KFC or something I'm happy.

if it is a new show I'd be okay with that.

after reading the dabbler dudes, I think it's a VJ search (my idea not theirs).

Unknown said...

I personally would like to see what this guy really looks like. If you don't care about being fired why don't you just show your whole face?

Unknown said...

Stephy, darling dearest... cmon|

this mask there is more than flesh. Beneath this mask there is an idea and ideas are bulletproof.
please. . .there is a face beneath this mask, but it's not me. I'm no more that face than I am the muscles beneath it, or the bones beneath them

V: I can assure you I mean you no harm.
Evey: Who are you?
V: Who? Who is but the form following the function of what, and what I am is a man in a mask.
Evey: Well, I can see that.
V: Of course you can. I'm not questioning your powers of observation, I'm merely remarking upon the paradox of asking a masked man who he is.
Evey: Oh. Right.


OOOH PHREAKY PHREAK YOU'RE MY HERO ;) stay disguised, all the superheroes are doing it, well except superman...but he's a sell out of corporate america designed by a canadian, go figure...

If you're at the very least leftist, I'm glad to know of you
quoth the queer vegetarian
don't hassle the phreak--just give him time to prove himself, and if we're wrong, we're no worse off, and if he should be some digital savior, we'll go from there I'm not holding my breath but yelling hoax out of fear won't make him real

Anonymous said...

send videos to where and we'll see if this can get us on TV :)

Unknown said...

Amusing, to say the least.

It'd be neat to see more, see if you can do something ~mind-altering~ for people... ^.-

Talent... intriguing.

Anonymous said...

"The actual tricky part is the script that automatically runs an override to the current broadcast stream at pre-set times."

Last time I checked, that's an easy system. You really are lame.

Btw, anyone with a book on networking and a bit of common sense could do what you've explained fairly easily...

...and digital broadcasts can be overwritten via many methods - especially with access to the stream source. Time to do your homework, my amateur friend.

-- monokrome

Unknown said...

hey know what else is lame? negativity, seriously if it's SO easy, why don't you do it? better yet do it on ctv or global news when older masses are watching? something something money where your mouth is something something

it had an asian kid yelling about his blog about movies about blogs so at least its advanced from goggles

M to the G said...

its not a hack god dam, its like when SAW III or SAW IIII was coming out,i cant remember what one lol, you would seee that masked guy pop up during commercials, muchmusic is just geting us hyped up for something

Benjamin Yu said...

Well, you have to admit, for a lame viral marketing scheme, it is working...

Bravo! :D

And you could work on your technical explanation a bit... Sounds like you grabbed a "Networking For Dummies" and just started spewing out technical jargon... No self-righteous "hacker" would tell the world how he did it unless he wanted people to follow suit.

Oh god! Damn you viral marketing and your spreading of controversy >.<

Weilds said...

You guys are sheep.

Do some fucking research and use some common sense.

This society would be so much better if people didnt fall for stupid marketing schemes like "phreak 615".

C'mon muchmusic outsmarted you? That is just sad. Flock off.

k8tie said...

Sounds to me like you're right, this plan to fool the massive population of morons using an "elaborate" viral marketing scheme is certainly working.
Damn.

Although, I suppose I will join the herd if it turns out it is infact an intellegent hacker having some fun, although I agree-> Why explain in detail HOW you've done this? and also, you suggest for people to send you videos "good enough" to air? to what standards? the videos you have posted are all extremely lame

Rebel Waltz Tattoo said...

fucking advertising....

moon said...

why video on trial? I totally missed the end of a joke. it was very sad. however i guess it works right? I'm here.

wonderz said...

If your so amazing at hacking.. why not hack another tv channel.. that has NOTHING to do with ctv/chum ?

Unknown said...

http://www.muchmusic.com/phreak/

and some people are just marketing tools and or sell outs.

Unknown said...

please email me if you can really get some video footage on the air, need to get the stations that people watch the most, what I want to share is basically for mutiny against the federal government, they must get shut down before they hurt anyone else, we need marshal law for now because the feds are unjust and corrupt, they might come for me soon so email me. the videos i need aired can be found on youtube, the government dont control the internet but they do with everything else, so there is videos (a lot of them) online but that truth is not reaching your average televison junky
robertmvermilyer@gmail.com