LG TV flaws could let attackers listen in, even in standby mode

Smart TVs are internet-connected computers with microphones, app stores, advertising systems, and access to the same home networks used by your family’s phones, laptops, printers, and smart-home devices.

In the past, we reported on Samsung settling a lawsuit with the Texas Attorney General over how its smart TVs collect and monetize viewing data using Automated Content Recognition (ACR) .

ACR technology samples what appears on or is heard through a TV, creates a digital fingerprint, and compares that fingerprint against a reference database. It can be used to identify programs, ads, and viewing habits.

Now, a new investigation by Gamers Nexus, carried out with Level1Techs and independent security researchers, has examined several LG TV models. The team says its found extensive device and network discovery, ACR tracking, and security weaknesses that could increase the consequences if a television were compromised.

Some findings concern LG’s intended product behavior, while others rely on vulnerabilities that researchers say are still being disclosed responsibly. But the broader lesson is clear: A smart TV deserves the same privacy and security consideration as any other internet-connected computer.

According to Gamers Nexus, packet captures and firmware analysis showed the tested LG TVs identifying devices on the local network, such as phones, PCs, printers, switches, and smart-home hardware. The investigation also says the TVs collected nearby Wi-Fi network names, signal information, and device-related identifiers.

This network information could help build a picture of the other devices in a household. Combined with ACR data, advertising IDs, and other information, it could support detailed profiles of what people watch and the devices they use.

The researchers also demonstrated how a compromised TV could capture audio through its microphone, including when the TV appeared to be off.

Smart TVs are internet-connected computers with microphones, app stores, advertising systems, and access to the same home networks used by your family’s phones, laptops, printers, and smart-home devices.

In the past, we reported on Samsung settling a lawsuit with the Texas Attorney General over how its smart TVs collect and monetize viewing data using Automated Content Recognition (ACR) .

ACR technology samples what appears on or is heard through a TV, creates a digital fingerprint, and compares that fingerprint against a reference database. It can be used to identify programs, ads, and viewing habits.

Now, a new investigation by Gamers Nexus, carried out with Level1Techs and independent security researchers, has examined several LG TV models. The team says its found extensive device and network discovery, ACR tracking, and security weaknesses that could increase the consequences if a television were compromised.

Some findings concern LG’s intended product behavior, while others rely on vulnerabilities that researchers say are still being disclosed responsibly. But the broader lesson is clear: A smart TV deserves the same privacy and security consideration as any other internet-connected computer.

According to Gamers Nexus, packet captures and firmware analysis showed the tested LG TVs identifying devices on the local network, such as phones, PCs, printers, switches, and smart-home hardware. The investigation also says the TVs collected nearby Wi-Fi network names, signal information, and device-related identifiers.

This network information could help build a picture of the other devices in a household.