TV Owners that have the Plasma 8000
series, the 7500 LED LCD series, the 8000 LED LCD series or the 9000 LED LCD series might want to know that HACKERS
claim they can access to these TV's
·
Security
experts reveal they have been able to gain access to the device and scour its
hard drives and connected drives for information
·
They
claim to have 'complete root access' allowing them to install malicious
software that could monitor its cameras and microphones
·
More
and more devices that connect to the Internet are leaving unwitting consumers
vulnerable to such hacking attacks
Malta-based security firm ReVuln
posted a video showing how its researchers had learned to crack the television
to access its settings - including any personal information stored on it.
'We can install malicious software to
gain complete root access to the TV,' they claim in the video.
With such malware installed, hackers
could use the Smart TV's built-in microphones and camera to hear and see
everything in front of it.
Samsung's Smart TV can be used to
browse the internet, use social networks, watch net-based commercial film
streaming services and play online games, among other things, from the comfort
of your sofa.
The devices can also be controlled by
voice commands and gestures, using their microphones and cameras to detect what
is happening in front of them.
However, while the Smart TV's are
connected to the internet they are vulnerable to hackers who can access the
device and access files stored on them.
Luigi Auriemma, co-founder of ReVuln,
says he has found a way to track down the IP address of the device and gain
access to seize control and scour any drives connected to it.
The video appears to show he is able
to access remote files and information like the viewing history, as well as
siphon data from USB drives attached to a compromised set.
Mr Auriemma told Ars Technica: 'At
this point the attacker has complete control over the device.
Devices from lighting systems to air
conditioners to computer games consoles now rely on online functionality, but
their operating systems often do not have the same kinds of security measures
now commonly deployed on Microsoft and Apple powered devices.
At the moment, ReVuln's exploit only
works once hackers have managed to breach the network which the television is
connected to. As such, Mr Auriemma told NBC News, he expects the main danger is
of hackers targeting specific companies or individuals.
'In our opinion, it’s more interesting
and realistic to think about attacks [against] specific targets reached via
open/weak/hacked Wi-Fi or compromised computers of a network, instead of
mass-exploiting via the Internet,' he said.
'That’s interesting due to the effects
of the vulnerability (retrieving information and the possibility of monitoring)
which are perfect for targeted attacks, from a specific person with a TV at
home to a company with TVs in its offices.'
Revuln plans to sell information on
the vulnerabilities to the highest bidder, the Register reported, claiming this
will 'speed up' fixes faster than merely reporting them to the manufacturer.
The company would not go into details
about the flaws it has discovered.
The possibilities of such vulnerabilities
are worrying with increasing numbers of consumer electronics devices being
equipped with sensors, cameras and microphones to detect what is happening
around them.
A spokesman for Samsung said: 'We have
discovered that only in extremely unusual circumstances a connectivity issue
arises between Samsung Smart TV’s released in 2011 and other connected devices.
We assure our customers that our Smart TVs are safe to use.
'We will release a previously
scheduled software patch in January 2013 to further strengthen Smart TV
security. We recommend our customers to use encrypted wireless access points,
when using connected devices.'
The simple fix is not a patch which
will also be hacked but a webcam cover that fits the Samsung Smart TV product
line. These webcam covers can be
purchased at C-SLIDE.
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