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The fact they they can connect to Xfinity networks without consent is shocking too. For all those “just don’t connect the cable” responses, it still connects! A

The fact they they can connect to Xfinity networks without consent is shocking too. For all those “just don’t connect the cable” responses, it still connects! And what happens when they go GSM? Sure you can try to open up the box and yank the WiFi antenna… until it is so deeply integrated into the board that you cannot. This isn’t just an “oh well” situation. This needs a law.

krunck 18d ago
This needs people to open their TVs, determine the modifications needed to neuter the spy functionality, and publish the procedure.
- red-iron-pine 18d ago
  as the parent poster said, that works until they bury it so hard that you can't find it, or that it can't be removed without impacting service. all LG needs to do is put the connection inline to something important like responding to your remote control or changing channels. rip it out and it won't work anymore. LG then curses you for voiding the warranty and tells you go to go hell when you complain. it needs a law.
sgerenser 18d ago
The article says that? I searched for Xfinity and nothing came up.
- woodgala 18d ago
  Watch the original video posted yesterday.
  - sgerenser 17d ago
    I went and checked out the section of the video where he talks about XFinityWifi networks [1]. Literally nothing was tested, he just said “there are reports of devices (not TVs, just “devices”) connecting to XFinityWifi open networks… so even just not letting TVs connect to your WiFI won’t keep you safe!” That’s it!? Why not actually test it!? [1] https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6IFVTcM28KA&ra=m https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6IFVTcM28KA&ra=m
coldpie 18d ago
> The fact they they can connect to Xfinity networks without consent is shocking too. For all those “just don’t connect the cable” responses, it still connects! No, it doesn't.
- Macha 18d ago
  I was wondering where this claim even came from. It's from a comment, not even the article or the video it's based on. It's just the same internet rumor mill that's been going around for years, but more official because someone quotes it on an discussion on a news article because someone posted it in the comments of the article. Anyone who's tried to test this theory has not proved it. A few claims in support forums are more likely to be people's guests or family just connecting it to the wifi.
  - woodgala 18d ago
    It is LITERALLY in the video.
    - Macha 18d ago
      Where in the video do they say "We tested the TV and found it connected to an open wifi network" or anything to that effect? What they say "Some ISPs provide open networks and some [unspecified] smart devices automatically connect to such networks". They don't say these TVs (or any TVs) are in that bucket. Given how much they've tested about these TVs, I'd say they'd have found and named any TVs that did that. Honestly this was more a behaviour of very early wifi devices, I don't think I've run into such a device in decades, since people started talking about open wifi networks like they talk about piles of needles. Honestly there's enough real misbehaviour documented in the video to go without making some up, and it's a little disappointing GN decide to allude to that claim without proof.
fuzzfactor 18d ago
Just logged onto the router in a building where I do the wifi and there is a Fn-Link device which appears to be associated with a LGwebOSTV which a new occupant apparently brought in recently. Looks like the TV has two wifi devices, could be a bit like "belt and suspenders". Fn-Link seems to be known not just for their WiFi interfaces, but WiFi-IOT "modules" having quite capable processors also, which they seem to be fairly accomplished at. Interestingly, AI screeds that Fn-Link is heavily associated with "mesh." The router usually does a pretty good job of identifying what kind of device, from phones, PCs, tablets, Macs, switches, extenders, etc. The TV is identified by name as above and automatically showed the proper TV icon, and it would have to have been given the proper user wifi password when set up or it wouldn't be on the router to begin with. Main TV wifi is directly on the router's 5G frequencies. The Fn-Link named device is always using the preceding IP address by DHCP, but it is logged into a separate 2G extender also within range which does use the same password. The main router autoassigns to the Fn-Link the kind of icon you get from an extender or wifi access point itself. I'm getting the idea that the Fn-Link PCB gets the wifi password from the TV setup routine then takes action on it's own from there. Will be changing the password on the extender and see if the Fn-Link moves to the main 5G channel. More alarming was the way my buddy's MacBook Pro had apparently logged into the Fn-Link device and was sharing the same local IP address, could very well have been MITM'd until I blocked the Fn-Link device and the MacBook went directly back on the main 5G router. Re-allowing the Fn-Link device has not seemed to be involved with the MacBook after that. Take a look at the "Fn-Link Product Manual.pdf" on this page for a general line card: https://www.fn-link.com/download-p2.html https://www.fn-link.com/download-p2.html And something like the "AIot module" here: https://www.fn-link.com/V200Z-R-AIoT-Module-pd41426492.html https://www.fn-link.com/V200Z-R-AIoT-Module-pd41426492.html To get the minimal rundown on explicit capabilities. Of course they also appear to be very advanced when it comes to the less-common PLC-IOT modules which are used for industrial control, so it's not like they're completely driven by the relatively huge consumer market, more like the mission to collect data and execute control where it hasn't already been addressed, wherever it may turn up. Naturally Fn_Link also makes modules that support GSM and CDMA also

krunck 18d ago

This needs people to open their TVs, determine the modifications needed to neuter the spy functionality, and publish the procedure.

red-iron-pine 18d ago
as the parent poster said, that works until they bury it so hard that you can't find it, or that it can't be removed without impacting service. all LG needs to do is put the connection inline to something important like responding to your remote control or changing channels. rip it out and it won't work anymore. LG then curses you for voiding the warranty and tells you go to go hell when you complain. it needs a law.

sgerenser 18d ago

The article says that? I searched for Xfinity and nothing came up.

woodgala 18d ago
Watch the original video posted yesterday.
- sgerenser 17d ago
  I went and checked out the section of the video where he talks about XFinityWifi networks [1]. Literally nothing was tested, he just said “there are reports of devices (not TVs, just “devices”) connecting to XFinityWifi open networks… so even just not letting TVs connect to your WiFI won’t keep you safe!” That’s it!? Why not actually test it!? [1] https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6IFVTcM28KA&ra=m https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6IFVTcM28KA&ra=m

coldpie 18d ago

> The fact they they can connect to Xfinity networks without consent is shocking too. For all those “just don’t connect the cable” responses, it still connects! No, it doesn't.

Macha 18d ago
I was wondering where this claim even came from. It's from a comment, not even the article or the video it's based on. It's just the same internet rumor mill that's been going around for years, but more official because someone quotes it on an discussion on a news article because someone posted it in the comments of the article. Anyone who's tried to test this theory has not proved it. A few claims in support forums are more likely to be people's guests or family just connecting it to the wifi.
- woodgala 18d ago
  It is LITERALLY in the video.
  - Macha 18d ago
    Where in the video do they say "We tested the TV and found it connected to an open wifi network" or anything to that effect? What they say "Some ISPs provide open networks and some [unspecified] smart devices automatically connect to such networks". They don't say these TVs (or any TVs) are in that bucket. Given how much they've tested about these TVs, I'd say they'd have found and named any TVs that did that. Honestly this was more a behaviour of very early wifi devices, I don't think I've run into such a device in decades, since people started talking about open wifi networks like they talk about piles of needles. Honestly there's enough real misbehaviour documented in the video to go without making some up, and it's a little disappointing GN decide to allude to that claim without proof.

fuzzfactor 18d ago

Just logged onto the router in a building where I do the wifi and there is a Fn-Link device which appears to be associated with a LGwebOSTV which a new occupant apparently brought in recently. Looks like the TV has two wifi devices, could be a bit like "belt and suspenders". Fn-Link seems to be known not just for their WiFi interfaces, but WiFi-IOT "modules" having quite capable processors also, which they seem to be fairly accomplished at. Interestingly, AI screeds that Fn-Link is heavily associated with "mesh." The router usually does a pretty good job of identifying what kind of device, from phones, PCs, tablets, Macs, switches, extenders, etc. The TV is identified by name as above and automatically showed the proper TV icon, and it would have to have been given the proper user wifi password when set up or it wouldn't be on the router to begin with. Main TV wifi is directly on the router's 5G frequencies. The Fn-Link named device is always using the preceding IP address by DHCP, but it is logged into a separate 2G extender also within range which does use the same password. The main router autoassigns to the Fn-Link the kind of icon you get from an extender or wifi access point itself. I'm getting the idea that the Fn-Link PCB gets the wifi password from the TV setup routine then takes action on it's own from there. Will be changing the password on the extender and see if the Fn-Link moves to the main 5G channel. More alarming was the way my buddy's MacBook Pro had apparently logged into the Fn-Link device and was sharing the same local IP address, could very well have been MITM'd until I blocked the Fn-Link device and the MacBook went directly back on the main 5G router. Re-allowing the Fn-Link device has not seemed to be involved with the MacBook after that. Take a look at the "Fn-Link Product Manual.pdf" on this page for a general line card: https://www.fn-link.com/download-p2.html https://www.fn-link.com/download-p2.html And something like the "AIot module" here: https://www.fn-link.com/V200Z-R-AIoT-Module-pd41426492.html https://www.fn-link.com/V200Z-R-AIoT-Module-pd41426492.html To get the minimal rundown on explicit capabilities. Of course they also appear to be very advanced when it comes to the less-common PLC-IOT modules which are used for industrial control, so it's not like they're completely driven by the relatively huge consumer market, more like the mission to collect data and execute control where it hasn't already been addressed, wherever it may turn up. Naturally Fn_Link also makes modules that support GSM and CDMA also