nFusion IKS Private Server - History of Satellite Hacking

The nFusion hacker group introduced the first automatically maintained FTA Pirate Satellite receiver by way of an Internet connection. In the era of nFusion, 2005-2010, all you had to do was buy a nFusion box and watch TV. The nFusion S.U.N.S. servers automatically updated the encryption keys and even allowed for online firmware updating. Then one day the nFusion group just suddenly vanished leaving 1000's of disconnected receivers behind. Today we take a look back what nFusion was all about and the receivers used. We also test & snoop on a live nFusions S.U.N.S. server connection request, capture the server IP, and track it going all the way to the other side of the world!
The History of Satellite Hacking
Part #1: • Satellite Card Hacking...
Part #2: • DirecTV Black Sunday E...
Part #3: • FTA - Dish Network- Be...
Part #4: • Satellite Pirate 2001 ...
Business enquiries please contact me here: [e-mail]

[@Hippie459MN]

I'm throwing myself under the bus here but I was pretty relavent back in the satellite testing days. Back when Sattech, KickenChicken, and a bunch of others were around. Back in the battery cards, avr cards, avr card with emulation via pc days. Then programming all the cards, jtag stuff, tsop lock mods, you name it. I was on top of the game back then. I never got into the fta stuff. I was more about the programming, and the how of how it all worked. I miss the satellite testing days big time.

[@jessihawkins9116]

do you have proof of any of this? 🤨

[@Hippie459MN]

@@jessihawkins9116 Just search the old newgroups for my username, you'll find me. Sadly none of the web sites are around anymore. And facebook and stuff wasnt a thing back then so I pretty much havent talked to anyone in years and wouldnt even know where to begin as I didnt know a lot of real names back then. Just usernames.

[@andrewasciutto1420]

@@jessihawkins9116 even if he did why would he give it to you lol

[@seanwieland9763]

The mid-2000s were a golden age, before the 2007-2008 GFC ruined everything. Thank you so much for sharing this obscure nostalgia.

[@BillAnt]

Video killed the radio star, and the internet killed the satellite. heh

[@peterfairlie2296]

Very Ture. Now Starlink satellite internet is killing VSAT & Dish Network.

[@BillAnt]

​@@peterfairlie2296- I read that Dish is launching some high capacity HOE satellites. The problem with High Earth Orbit ones is the high latency, that's why StarLink went with LEO's instead.

[@elesjuan]

Realize that I keep saying this, but this stuff is just plain interesting. I'm just a couple years too young to have been of a technical age for this, though I absolutely knew it was happening and may have attempted researching how it works back then. Seeing such specific details on the lengths the hackers went is really fascinating. Also can't help but think about how the prevalence of the internet has so far superseded satellite hacking to the 9000th degree in terms of "hacking video content." Much as I might hate being alive right now for a few reasons, man... what a time to be alive!!! Thanks Peter!

[@digitalchaos1980]

This was awesome, Peter! Happy Easter to you and yours as well! 😎

[@yougoonie3338]

Thank you for this, growing up, sat tv tinkering was very hidden topic, it's nice to see what i've missed.

[@peterfairlie2296]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@JayGroh]

I kind of miss the days of Pansat receivers. I loved to just mess around with it all. I remember when the firmware came out that automagically found the decryption keys. Usually within minutes. At least thats how I remember it. They were really nice receivers too even just for FTA. I had mine hooked up to a BUD and had dish, C, and KU band. Even though it was SD the NASA channel and the super bowl were both tack sharp that looked HD on an SD TV. I stopped with satellite when cable internet was available. Never did the key sharing.

[@bennguyen1313]

For a great inside look at the DSS satellite hacking days, I recommend the Gummo interview on the Soft White Underbelly channel. They talk about the F, H , HU/P3/Football DirectTV cards.. although not much about the Dish Network / EchoStar cards. BTW, is IPTV just people just feeding their video-subscription onto the internet or is it something more sophisticated? I imagine you would need tons of subscriptions in order to feed all those channels!

[@diogosn]

IKS? I "supposedly" still use it today.

[@delresearch5416]

Yea the first bins where based on the first card. That's why they lasted a year no hashing just a static key. And if you have a receiver you had a old card for and the key you can iks merlin.

[@ilikenwf]

For educational purposes, where might one look or what might one search online to learn about it?

[@nathanagyare-pu1iu]

Hello friend.. do IKS channels delay when watching live programs like football match or they ran the same as original TV or live score app without delays?

[@UrielPix]

496 😂

[@drakul071]

@@UrielPixThat was the raunchiest of the bunch 😂

[@dave00011]

Had so much fun with my dreamboxes. good times

[@peterfairlie2296]

Yes it was!

[@ale_mtl]

very cool. we only went as far as the fta updated via usb. a filming suggestion would be to get one of those phone holders so you can hold the camera in your fist instead of stretching your fingers

[@flamingdog9207]

I would also suggest a tripod that includes a phone mount

[@tcfdod2007]

I remeber this now. I had forgoten all about the the things we did back in the day.

[@MillAppartments-kb5vd]

Great vid. If you enter the 192...115 address in a browser or FTP client on your computer, does it open a page from the STB ? Happy Easter to you too. 🇦🇺

[@peterfairlie2296]

No, the nFusion boxes were proprietary and didn't offer any streaming features like a Dream box.

[@kingbecher1]

Which software was used as iks ? MultiCs or C..cam?

[@rambos420]

Great memories I believe I have both nfusions and the Phoenix

[@XcmxMccqx]

Echostar and nimiq was good times. So many channels..

[@peterfairlie2296]

I remember around the nFusion era the proliferation of oval muti LNB satellite dishes seen allover the place. nFusion made it simple for anyone to use.

[@XcmxMccqx]

Bootstrap card is a throwback

[@delresearch5416]

1997

[@AdrianHiggins83]

Make your own digital IP TV station multi channel

[@Joenathewashe]

excellent video

[@peterfairlie2296]

Glad you liked it!

[@thatball6969]

this makes me remember of my childhood

[@simonstergaard]

super interesting...thankyou

[@peterfairlie2296]

Glad you liked it

[@phopetindall]

Interesting video; thank-you

[@johnkeefer3183]

What are you running on your Linksys router?

[@peterfairlie2296]

dd_wrt

[@johnkeefer3183]

​@@peterfairlie2296 Thank you, and the script is spelled goo?

[@phopetindall]

I wonder if the IP is a fallback hard-coded IP? You should do a packet capture and see what DNS name is being resolved.

[@peterfairlie2296]

It didn't appear to make any attempt to connect on port 53 so there was no DNS query and no domain involved. Seems to have been strictly IP based.

[@caiovictor5070]

Aqui no brasil ainda se usa muito creio que esse aparelho ai ainda possa ser usado pagando um iks ou transformando o mesmo em algum que ainda tenha atualizaçao

[@marcburns508]

I love your linksys routers... the WRT... I have a bunch in my basement.

[@XcmxMccqx]

The nagra3 encryption changed it all .. sad day.

[@loganmacgyver2625]

IKS is still possible with it

[@delresearch5416]

Yep if you have the key from the card to the receiver before.

[@AnthonyChopra]

in england i think one of my antys had something called a BlackMagic Box it kinda looked like this it was in 2013ish or so. i think it used a satellite and a ethernet cable to update the card. im not sure if it had a card slot as i dont remember it much but what i do know is that ive not heard about a box like the BlackMagic box nor nFusion since 2017ish or so. years later something happened and she went to get a real skyplus box and pay for the sky packages. she now lives in canada so im not sure if she is using something earls to get free paid tv tbh

[@o0julek0o]

They're still around. I know 2 people who use the same kind of system as you mentioned, here in the UK. Both for foreign TV however.

[@purplepioneer5644]

They were for cable (virgin media) rather than satellite, but they stopped working when virgin changed encryption methods (to nagra 3).

[@AnthonyChopra]

@@o0julek0o wow imay look online just to take a interested look tho im only into catching random channels from other sats tho im also just fully learning and cant beleve i didn't understand it in 2013

[@delresearch5416]

The merlin has the rsa infinion cve.

[@rickchapman9232]

Can you try to find sat 1 and sat2 ?

[@danisgay100]

I know this is an in chat regarding sat hacking, but i would like to see either you or save-it-for-parts test aircraft weather radar, idk about licensing though, but with all the rf out there who knows if they would care

[@ArztvomDienst]

I realy enjoy this content, awesome video (and I love that LinkSys Stack)

[@peterfairlie2296]

Glad you enjoy it!

[@hunterdixonrickthewalkingd6567]

Have you heard about Forever Iks ?

[@delresearch5416]

Yea the SA one still has keyshare.

[@adejareoladiran]

What is the name of the Blue boxes

[@peterfairlie2296]

Linksys

[@biggysground]

Programmers wanted to get paid so they charged a monthly fee with the IKS setups. Greed killed the hack industry.

[@MisterS-fh8vt]

Is it still active???

[@peterfairlie2296]

No, nFusion has been dead a long time.

[@jessihawkins9116]

so what are peoples doing now

[@TigTex]

​@@jessihawkins9116using other emulators/iks's. But talking about them may get this channel flagged :)

[@XcmxMccqx]

I still have my conaxsat

[@digitalsparky]

That IP that it's hitting is owned by China Unicom... So it's attempting to connect to a Chinese server.

[@peterfairlie2296]

Yes, Chinese organized crime was behind it all.

[@uiopuiop3472]

my names god... god readme i use iks

[@elpapichulo213]

The dss guy

[@malcom604]

The video of the sellers from incredible FTA were based in Vancouver area, selling the boxes at outrageous prices, ripping off customers ,no support when the boxes didn't work, a bunch of thugs

[@peterfairlie2296]

The dealers were always a bunch of low-life fly-by-night make a quick buck scumbags.