cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/51634640
A new Gamers Nexus investigation found a retail LG TV actively scanning the local network for phones, laptops, smartwatches and other connected devices, while also capturing microphone audio when the screen appeared to be in standby. The investigation found voice data being stored locally even after the TV was disconnected from the network, with the queued data uploaded once connectivity returned. Researchers also uncovered webOS vulnerabilities that could potentially turn the television into a remotely controlled surveillance device. The really unsettling part isn’t just the advertising angle. It’s the fact that a consumer television can sit inside your trusted network, enumerate other devices, access a microphone, store collected data locally and communicate with external infrastructure. Put that same device in a corporate office, hospital, hotel or conference room and the security implications become considerably more serious. I went through the investigation in detail, including the network scanning, microphone behavior, ACR, webOS attack surface, offline data collection and practical mitigations
Don’t connect TVs to your network.
Although usb stick firmware updating is super annoying
So I should connect it to someone elses network?
And according to the article the data collection runs even if it’s disconnected. So, don’t ever connect it to the network. As soon as you do everything gets uploaded.
Could I burn a hole through a WiFi chip with a soldering iron?
Only one way to find out.
Oops I meant to reply to the person saying Gamer’s Nexus found LG televisions connect without permission to any insecure Wi-Fi networks within range in your neighbourhood. Otherwise it’d seem a bit extreme to burn a hole through it :p
My TV is too old for this to matter yet but I’d research a way to physically disable network hardware before buying any specific model next time.
how is it collecting and sending data if not connected to a network?
i read the article, it still needs a connection
It’s not sending them, just collecting them. Then it sends them the moment you connect. They even transcribe speech to text via mic, according to GN they send about 4GB/month… IN TEXT FILES!
How much storage could it possibly have?
The person you are replying to said that the smart TV collects spy data onto a hard drive even when it’s not connected.
Then once the TV acquires a connection, it dumps the entire drive worth of spy data to the mothership.
The danger here is obvious, I think.
i just misread their post originally
You know how some people rent their wifi routers?
That’s the backbone
if it’s connecting without your explicit permission each time how us that not a worm
Because it is done by a wealthy corporation. See also: rootkits from Sony.
that shit should have been a jail term
but i stopped buying sony over it
You give it explicit permission when you let it on your LAN without any firewall rules or DNS filtering.
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lol i missed the entire second part
and i meant i read the article
not you read the article
Read and read and reed and reed. Love english
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yea because
read
read
read the same, i was trying to be clear
i’m saying you are right, relax, i must have skipped over your second sentence on
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This would’ve worked just a few years back but due to shitty “age verification” laws, even TV manufacturers willl force users to create an account the very least for the TV to even start up. They may also implement an always-online model and they’ll justify that it’s necessary to monitor users for “age verification purposes”. ATP better to get a good monitor and use it as TV cuz cable or satellite boxes are either way gonna be provided by the network companies so that’s there
Surely only for “smart” features but without enabling any of that shit, you shouldn’t get any age verification prompt.
I could see them doing it anyway as OTA broadcasts include rating data.
That said, if it’s a family TV, you’re never going to put everyone on it, just the oldest one anyway.
Impossible - no one would buy them, and that idea would die.
[citation needed]
A citation… of a would be scenario? My what a confusing comment.
I think their point is that by and large consumers are stupid and willing to put up with almost any garbage like that. What makes you think otherwise?
Where is the original citation showing you cannot use a tv disconnected, without setting up an account?
This whole thread is nonsense.
What emb said. When in the history of the universe did consumers reject a product like that? You do realize Alexa and Google speakers are still very popular and tons of people wear watches with GPS, sleep tracking, heart rate tracking and always turned on BT?
Works for now, but my fear is when that may not broadly be the case.
This is the only correct answer. Discussion over.
I wonder if any of such devices use nbiot or alike…