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This would be trivial to test and detect. Just like every claim that TVs will connect to open WiFi networks if you don't connect them to a network. Yet after ye
by deadbunny 26d ago
This would be trivial to test and detect. Just like every claim that TVs will connect to open WiFi networks if you don't connect them to a network. Yet after years of these claims and being extremely trivial to test not a single shred of evidence has ever been provided.
- cassianoleal 26d agoHow would you test this?
- deadbunny 26d agoIf they form a mesh and route traffic via one TV that acts as an exit node you can check the packet TTLs.
- wtallis 26d agoIsn't messing with TTLs a pretty obvious thing to do when communicating covertly? And wouldn't that kind of packet inspection only catch cases of TVs literally acting as packet-level routers, but not catch application-layer shenanigans like aggregating statistics in the exit node so that all the data going over your own network appears to be originating from the same device? It's still implausible, but thoroughly verifying that your TV isn't spying on you isn't trivial.
- structural 26d agoThere's no requirement that the mesh be IP-based or function as a layer-3 router... Even if it were IP-bsaed, it would be extremely straightforward for one box to send a UDP message to another, and receive and retransmit at the application layer. No TTL nonsense, No multiple IPs showing up communicating upstream.
- cassianoleal 26d agoBut if my TV is doing this, then by definition it's not acting as an exit node so how do I test it?
- DaSHacka 26d agoPut a WiFi NIC in monitor mode and see if the TV is connected to another AP based on the 802.11 packets. Or if this theoretical implementation by a manufacturer is using a custom protocol/frequency (very unlikely for a variety of reasons), you'd begin by probing with an SDR.
- cassianoleal 26d agoWhich part of that qualifies as trivial?
- DaSHacka 26d agoI only semi-agree with GP; it's trivial for someone who works in Tech to pull it off, but that's really all you need to blow the lid on the whole operation given manufacturers would likely have implemented the same behavior across all TVs of the same model/product segment.
- deleted 26d ago[deleted]
- DaSHacka 26d agoHow do you think? By broadcasting an open WiFi network and seeing if it connects and requests a DHCP Lease.