Samsung is cracking down on TV apps that quietly shared users’ internet connections

Norwegian cybersecurity firm Mnemonic has uncovered a troubling issue with several Samsung smart TV apps. These apps, some boasting downloads on hundreds of millions of devices, contain code that surreptitiously shares users' internet connections without authorization. One such app, a Pac-Man game, was even featured in Samsung's own "Editor's Choice" section.

This game was using code from Bright Data, an Israel-based internet company known for its proxy networks. Once the app is opened and accepted, the smart TV transforms into what's known as a residential proxy, silently routing outsiders' web traffic through the home connection. This activity continues even after the app is closed, persisting until the app is completely uninstalled.

Harrison Sand, an offensive security consultant at Mnemonic, warned that a single code alteration on a remote web server could potentially convert hundreds of millions of these TVs into a botnet, all without user consent. Sand also noticed that a significant portion of the traffic passing through his own TV was linked to mass scraping of LinkedIn profiles and collecting data for AI training.

Samsung has since taken action, banning apps that share users' connections, restricting new app registrations using proxy functionality, and working to identify and remove existing offenders from their store. This move follows a similar ban by LG last month.