// ZDNET — MOBILE & WEB
This LG TV jailbreak turns smart devices into spies, say researchers
Researchers say LG TV's behavior 'parallels malware' - with user data logged even when TVs are on standby.
The side of the TV required a good bit of zooming in to capture its full thickness.
In the UK, we need something called a “TV license” to legally watch live TV. This stealth tax comes in two forms: a license for color TVs and one for black-and-white television sets.
Yes, black and white. Laws haven’t caught up with technology, and it appears that we, as consumers, also need to brush up on just how advanced the technology in our TVs has become.
Also: Is your smart TV a secret proxy? LG to suspend rogue apps, Samsung sets impacted too
TVs have become smarter, with far more functionality than an old black-and-white set; they offer internet connectivity as standard, often include AI features and assistants, and have the potential to become privacy-invading devices able to spy on us and our habits in the right circumstances.
According to a new investigation by YouTube channel Gamers Nexus, in partnership with security researchers from Level1 Techs, LG TVs can be used as “eavesdropping listening devices,” partly due to advertising functionality but also to what appears to be overreaching data collection practices.
The team bought a new off-the-shelf LG TV to examine. The team then hacked into the TV, using software vulnerabilities to jailbreak it, including a Remote Code Execution (RCE) flaw, and explored what data could be collected, stored, and potentially exfiltrated by attackers.
The LG TV included in the test was able to collect and store an IP address, geographic location, an advertising ID, and the names of Wi-Fi networks in the immediate area — including neighboring Wi-Fi networks in range — alongside other devices on a network, even if they were not connected to the TV.
Also: How to disable ACR on your TV (and why it makes such a big difference when you do)