Samsung says it's banning smart TV apps that expose users' internet connections

Samsung has announced plans to ban certain smart TV applications that risk exposing users' internet connections to the public. This decision comes after cybersecurity firm Mnemonic discovered that some apps on Samsung's platform possess the ability to route an outsider's web traffic through a user's home internet connection, effectively turning the smart TV into a residential proxy exit node.

The vulnerability was first brought to light by Mnemonic, which found that a Pac-Man licensed game featured in Samsung's Editor's Choice section of its app store could be exploited in this manner. TechCrunch reached out to Samsung regarding the issue, to which the company responded by announcing it would ban any apps that expose users' internet connections. Samsung also stated it would implement strict platform-wide developer policies, explicitly prohibiting residential proxy SDKs.

Residential proxy SDKs, which can remain dormant within an app until activated to route someone else's web traffic through a Samsung smart TV's internet connection, are not unique to Samsung devices. Last month, LG announced it would suspend any apps capable of turning a customer's TV into a residential proxy, according to reports by KrebsOnSecurity.

Residential proxies pose a threat not only to smart TVs but also to VPNs, particularly free options.