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Blocking the MAC address from making connections outright seems like a more sensible way to prevent surveillance. Assuming of course you are using it as a trul

Blocking the MAC address from making connections outright seems like a more sensible way to prevent surveillance. Assuming of course you are using it as a truly 'dumb' TV and not as a client for Netflix etc.

mschuster91 5y ago
> Blocking the MAC address from making connections outright seems like a more sensible way to prevent surveillance. That won't protect against DNS data exfiltration. Extremely low-bandwidth, but works in a lot of cases - people have even written proxy servers to get slow but working Internet on public hotspots that normally require login.
- ezfe 5y ago
  How does that work if you block the internet at the router level?
  - mschuster91 5y ago
    Simple: most router firewalls only block traffic that has source:<IP of device> and destination:<anything in the Internet>, but traffic from source:<IP of device> to destination:<IP of router, IP range of home network> will be allowed. That is enough for the device to emit a DNS query like "pbs.12345.metricservice.example.com" to notfiy some tracking service that the device with serial 12345 just switched to a channel labeled "PBS". The router will resolve that name record at the DNS server for metricservice.example.com, which gets the request and logs it away.
    - chrisjc 5y ago
      Are you suggesting that devices connected to a network that has blocked their MAC can still make DNS requests?
      - mschuster91 5y ago
        How many consumer routers go that length? For most of these, as long as they are on the network, they can communicate over DNS, using the router as "middleman".
Markoff 5y ago
wouldn't be easier just not set internet connection in first place? I don't think TV can hack into secure WiFi network
- tjpnz 5y ago
  If they did it sounds like a great way for someone doing something nefarious to get off the hook. Some smart TVs are even able to act as wireless access points.
- pnutjam 5y ago
  Give it an IP with no gateway, or a bad gateway.
- scns 5y ago
  They have been caught trying to connect to unsecured WiFi before.
  - rosndo 5y ago
    I bet you aren’t going to be able to provide a source for this.
    - seanw444 5y ago
      Even if not, it's only a matter of time before it does happen. Not an if.
      - doldols 5y ago
        I suppose the same can be said about your TV turning into a sentient killer robot.
    - emendation 5y ago
      > I bet you aren’t going to be able to provide a source for this. They can't, but I do have this saved https://web.archive.org/web/20191224122714/https://www.reddit.com/r/security/comments/bpjky4/worried_about_your_smart_tv_listening_in_simply/ https://web.archive.org/web/20191224122714/https://www.reddi...

mschuster91 5y ago

> Blocking the MAC address from making connections outright seems like a more sensible way to prevent surveillance. That won't protect against DNS data exfiltration. Extremely low-bandwidth, but works in a lot of cases - people have even written proxy servers to get slow but working Internet on public hotspots that normally require login.

ezfe 5y ago
How does that work if you block the internet at the router level?
- mschuster91 5y ago
  Simple: most router firewalls only block traffic that has source:<IP of device> and destination:<anything in the Internet>, but traffic from source:<IP of device> to destination:<IP of router, IP range of home network> will be allowed. That is enough for the device to emit a DNS query like "pbs.12345.metricservice.example.com" to notfiy some tracking service that the device with serial 12345 just switched to a channel labeled "PBS". The router will resolve that name record at the DNS server for metricservice.example.com, which gets the request and logs it away.
  - chrisjc 5y ago
    Are you suggesting that devices connected to a network that has blocked their MAC can still make DNS requests?
    - mschuster91 5y ago
      How many consumer routers go that length? For most of these, as long as they are on the network, they can communicate over DNS, using the router as "middleman".

Markoff 5y ago

wouldn't be easier just not set internet connection in first place? I don't think TV can hack into secure WiFi network

tjpnz 5y ago
If they did it sounds like a great way for someone doing something nefarious to get off the hook. Some smart TVs are even able to act as wireless access points.
pnutjam 5y ago
Give it an IP with no gateway, or a bad gateway.
scns 5y ago
They have been caught trying to connect to unsecured WiFi before.
- rosndo 5y ago
  I bet you aren’t going to be able to provide a source for this.
  - seanw444 5y ago
    Even if not, it's only a matter of time before it does happen. Not an if.
    - doldols 5y ago
      I suppose the same can be said about your TV turning into a sentient killer robot.
  - emendation 5y ago
    > I bet you aren’t going to be able to provide a source for this. They can't, but I do have this saved https://web.archive.org/web/20191224122714/https://www.reddit.com/r/security/comments/bpjky4/worried_about_your_smart_tv_listening_in_simply/ https://web.archive.org/web/20191224122714/https://www.reddi...