- Samsung announced it is banning smart TV apps that expose users' internet connections after a vulnerability was discovered, which could allow outside sources to access these connections.
- The company will remove apps that share users' internet connections and has already restricted new app registrations incorporating such functionalities.
- Residential proxy SDKs that can turn a smart TV into a proxy for outsiders' web traffic are a significant concern, as they can remain dormant until activated.
- Samsung's decision follows a report indicating that several popular smart TV apps, including a Pac-Man game, contained code that could funnel users' internet traffic to outsiders.
Samsung is taking significant steps to enhance the security of its smart TV app platform by banning applications that can expose users' internet connections. This decision follows a report from cybersecurity firm Mnemonic, which revealed that certain apps, including a Pac-Man game, could turn smart TVs into residential proxy exit nodes.156
The vulnerability allows these apps to funnel outsiders' web traffic through users' home internet connections, potentially leading to cybercrime. Samsung's spokesperson stated, "We have already restricted new app registrations that incorporate such proxy functionalities on our Smart TV platform." The company is also implementing strict developer policies to prevent the use of residential proxy SDKs.4
The issue is not unique to Samsung; LG recently announced similar measures after discovering that around 42% of apps on its platform could enlist TVs into proxy networks. Mnemonic's research indicated that the resproxy code within these apps remains dormant until activated by user consent, raising concerns about the potential for malicious exploitation.
The implications of this vulnerability are significant, as the resproxy networks can be used for large-scale data scraping, including LinkedIn profiles and AI training data. Cybersecurity experts find these networks challenging to combat due to their encrypted traffic, which resembles ordinary household internet use, complicating detection efforts.
“Mnemonic found the proxy code inside Pac-Man, a game Samsung featured in Editor's Choice; the app can turn a TV into a residential proxy exit node. LG last month suspended apps that enlist TVs into proxy networks after 42% of its store's apps were implicated.”
TechCrunch
