A security flaw would allow you to access for free to paid channels of NOW. The researchers would have reported the problem to Sky, which however would not have been solved according to reports from TorrentFreak.
NOW free, a researcher warns about the security hole
The piracy of live TV channels is seen by the rights holders as one of the biggest challenges for their business. This week, online outlet TorrentFreak received reports from an unnamed source who revealed how, in his words, “one of the biggest broadcasters in Europe (and the world) doesn’t care at all how people can see all of its live channels (in UK, Germany and Italy) without even having an account”.
In January 2023, a security researcher named “Mark K” revealed that he discovered Telegram channels selling decryption keys to access NOW TV for free. This discovery intrigued the researcher, as NOW TV streams in Italy and Germany are protected by the DRM PlayReady di Microsoft.
The researcher reports that he had no intention of buy decryption keys only to verify its working, but decided to contact the owner of the channel to get technical information. The hacker would not have wanted to provide details, but with the information given to him he was able to carry out some analyses.
The researcher confirmed that tried the key and found it working. He also discovered that other vendors were offering decryption keys for Sky services not only in Italy, but also in Germany and the UK. “Basically all Sky OTT packages available, for less than $2,000,” he says.
The researcher says he warned Sky and spoke with an unspecified site security expert, without resolving the issue. TorrentFreak says they have contacted Skywho however declined to comment on the matter.