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
If there’s a device that has a computer in it that I cannot control the operating system off, it does not get any outside connection. No exceptions. Be it the car, the TV, the e-reader or whatever else.
In the video he talks about how some models will auto connect to open WiFi if there’s one nearby, I also wouldn’t be shocked if it’s a ring camera situation where if there’s another LG device with a connection in range of yours without, it will piggyback off that connection to ensure LG gets the info. They own the glass, they own the living room.