What is Biss Key & What can you do with Biss Key?

This post is about the most popular encryption system used on satellite channels. What is BISS key? How can it be used? How does it get leak? All answers are answered below. So without wasting any time lets hop into it.

What is BISS key?

BISS(Basic Interoperable Scrambling System) for satellite signal scrambling, developed by Europeans broadcasting union (EBU) and devices manufacturer.

BISS is a system used on private video feeds shared via satellite between organizations. Organisations like the EBU/Eurovision use BISS to distribute their content to partners securely.

Biss Control Words are static and are only changed by the Broadcasters when they need to. With this encryption, there is no decoding process as such just the final Biss Control Word.

Types of Biss Key:

There are mainly two different types of BISS encryption used:

• BISS-1 transmissions are protected by a 12 digit hexadecimal “session key” that is agreed by the transmitting and receiving parties prior to transmission. The key is entered into both the encoder and decoder, this key then forms part of the encryption of the digital TV signal and any receiver with BISS-support with the correct key will decrypt the signal.

• BISS-E (E for encrypted) is a variation where the decoder has stored one secret BISS-key entered by for example a rights holder. This is unknown to the user of the decoder. The user is then sent a 16-digit hexadecimal code, which is entered as a “session key”. This session key is then mathematically combined internally to calculate a BISS-1 key that can decrypt the signal.

How can it be used?
Simple BISS works by the two parties sharing a common key, the sender then encrypts the broadcast and the receiver uses the key to decode that video.

There is also an enterprise version of BISS where the broadcaster will encrypt the stream and the system will send the content key using secret means to decoders who are pre-registered with the BISS headend.

In BISS-E (BISS Encrypted) transmission, the key is unknown to the user of the receiver (decoder). He/she then enters the 16 digits hexadecimal session key like 51 32 13 cc 9a dd ec cc (PTV sports latest BISS key) . This key mathematically combines inside to calculate the BISS-1 key(BISS-1 key is 12 digit hexadecimal key set by transmitting n receiving parties before transmission). After calculating BISS-1 key, the BISS-E encrypted stream is decrypted.

Now how it get leak?
Normally consumers aren’t exposed to BISS. There are many reasons for this. Sometimes the hacker record and store the TS (transport stream) encrypted stream file, then using CW finder software that goes deep n deep inside the recorded encrypted stream and analyze the key line (a sort of brute force attack or hit n trial). But the thing is to crack a key in this way may take months to decrypt and the broadcaster alter the key so frequently, so it can be to make partition of the targeted length and do it by teamwork so that to decrypt it in a day or two…the second reason that is stronger than above is, the key is leaked by the broadcaster or staff to the public.

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