5 ms·

Researchers Hack Internet TVs, Discover Multiple Security Vulnerabilities

17 points by abrudtkuhl 16y ago

zdw 16y ago
To drive an HD screen, you needs something that is somewhat powerful - for example, most of the new NetFlix interfaces are based on Webkit, which isn't trivial to run. Seeing as my TV spontaneously rebooted in the middle of watching a DVD last night, and has had two OTA software updates since I bought it less than a month ago, I'm not too surprised at security problems, as basically it's a puny computer with a huge display integrated into it...
watty 16y ago
Once your network DNS is hijacked aren't you screwed anyways? What's to stop someone from presenting fake bank or email website logins?
- zdw 16y ago
  The concern isn't as much over user data with embedded device breaches - it's more likely that they're hijacked to the point that the TV could breach security on a network (plenty of TV's in corporate situations) or participate in a botnet/etc.
  - watty 16y ago
    Good point, the article's main focus was over user data but that would be bad as well. I guess I felt like if your corporate DNS is hijacked, TVs are the least of your worries. Hackers could use exploits such as Evilgrade to take over computers.
anonymous246 16y ago
Yet another reason I feel that Google TV, Apple TV, Microsoft TV, Roku (any others?) (not necessarily in that order) have a bright future. For TV manufacturers, the software side of things is an "annoyance project" from a cultural as well as sales perspective. They have throw in some software to check off boxes in reviewers' checklists, but good software is expensive to design and develop, and something whose real value is apparent in daily use. Not in the "wall of TVs" at a big box store where all TVs running the same demo loop. My TV's interface for viewing photos from a USB disk is appallingly bad. And I don't see the TV guys fixing this problem anytime soon: it's just not in their DNA. I predict that branded third-party OS's will be common on TV's in three years (if not sooner). Another example along similar lines is the firmware on digital cameras. One feature I would like is for my camera to take two pictures. In the second version, the image areas it used to infer aperture+exposure settings, and the focus points should be marked with rectangles etc. I've often noticed that an image that looks sharp on the LCD is not properly focused when seen on a big monitor. Such a setting would help me improve my skill.
raheemm 16y ago
21% of TVs sold in 2010 had internet connectivity. http://www.techspot.com/news/41843-21-of-tvs-sold-in-2010-had-internet-connectivity.html http://www.techspot.com/news/41843-21-of-tvs-sold-in-2010-ha...

17 points by abrudtkuhl 16y ago

zdw 16y ago

To drive an HD screen, you needs something that is somewhat powerful - for example, most of the new NetFlix interfaces are based on Webkit, which isn't trivial to run. Seeing as my TV spontaneously rebooted in the middle of watching a DVD last night, and has had two OTA software updates since I bought it less than a month ago, I'm not too surprised at security problems, as basically it's a puny computer with a huge display integrated into it...

watty 16y ago

Once your network DNS is hijacked aren't you screwed anyways? What's to stop someone from presenting fake bank or email website logins?

zdw 16y ago
The concern isn't as much over user data with embedded device breaches - it's more likely that they're hijacked to the point that the TV could breach security on a network (plenty of TV's in corporate situations) or participate in a botnet/etc.
- watty 16y ago
  Good point, the article's main focus was over user data but that would be bad as well. I guess I felt like if your corporate DNS is hijacked, TVs are the least of your worries. Hackers could use exploits such as Evilgrade to take over computers.

anonymous246 16y ago

Yet another reason I feel that Google TV, Apple TV, Microsoft TV, Roku (any others?) (not necessarily in that order) have a bright future. For TV manufacturers, the software side of things is an "annoyance project" from a cultural as well as sales perspective. They have throw in some software to check off boxes in reviewers' checklists, but good software is expensive to design and develop, and something whose real value is apparent in daily use. Not in the "wall of TVs" at a big box store where all TVs running the same demo loop. My TV's interface for viewing photos from a USB disk is appallingly bad. And I don't see the TV guys fixing this problem anytime soon: it's just not in their DNA. I predict that branded third-party OS's will be common on TV's in three years (if not sooner). Another example along similar lines is the firmware on digital cameras. One feature I would like is for my camera to take two pictures. In the second version, the image areas it used to infer aperture+exposure settings, and the focus points should be marked with rectangles etc. I've often noticed that an image that looks sharp on the LCD is not properly focused when seen on a big monitor. Such a setting would help me improve my skill.

raheemm 16y ago

21% of TVs sold in 2010 had internet connectivity. http://www.techspot.com/news/41843-21-of-tvs-sold-in-2010-had-internet-connectivity.html http://www.techspot.com/news/41843-21-of-tvs-sold-in-2010-ha...