How are satellites hacked? And how were television broadcasts hacked back then?

My friend, this is a very sensitive topic. Hacking it isn't done through missiles, physical means, or war, as we might say. No, it depends on certain things, including manipulating something called signals or terrestrial systems.

So, what do we mean by this in relation to satellites and hacking them?

1- If we think about it together, what controls a satellite? Simply put, you might say that there are ground stations that control this, sending and receiving signals. Well, if these stations, or one of their users or operators, are compromised, you gain access to the satellite's broadcast and the satellite itself, as if you own it and can manipulate it as you please.

2- If we consider what the satellite is doing up there, how it knows all the details, and so on, satellites broadcast signals over very large areas of the Earth. This depends on the distance and proximity to the Earth, and these are physical factors. Here, you need a signal receiving dish like an SDR to capture the incoming data. The challenge you'll face is encryption. Older satellites used to transmit unencrypted data, but now the situation is completely different.

3- In systems with vulnerabilities that lack verification and authentication mechanisms, the attacker can inject specific frequencies or malicious commands that can trick the satellite into granting them privileges or enabling them to perform a function. Specifically, even sabotaging the satellite itself.

So, how does TV broadcast hacking happen?

Such operations are often called Signal Intrusion, and there are several methods:

1- The hacker broadcasts a signal stronger than the original channel's signal, using the same frequency directed to the satellite. Consequently, the satellite receives the stronger signal, and the broadcast ends up with the hacker.

2- Modern channels now transmit their content via the internet. If the hacker manages to access the main broadcasting servers or encoders, they can replace the channel's video with their own and rebroadcast it.

3- Sometimes, it's not necessary to hack the channel itself. Hackers compromise people's receivers through malicious software updates, causing people to see a different broadcast.

And that's all, because this topic is widespread, and many people have been deceived into believing that so-and-so hacked a channel and did this or that, when it's all just a scam. Photoshop