How To Hack Smart Cards For Satellite TVs

Notorious hacker Chris Tarnovsky opens his underground laboratory to WIRED, providing a peek into the world of satellite television smart-card hacking. This complicated process involves nail polish, a pin head and various acids — so don’t try this at home (unless you’re Chris Tarnovsky)! Chances are you won’t even know what’s going on here, but that’s not going to stop you from watching this video tutorial on how to reverse-engineer a satellite TV smart card, is it?
He uses acetone to strip the chips. He also uses hydrochloric acid to reveal the chip. He burns a hole through the second layer of metal on the smart card. He then uses a micropositioner and a sewing needle to open the data bus and access the control line.