Samsung to Ban TV Apps That Expose Users' Internet Connections

Samsung has stated that it will ban applications that could potentially expose users’ internet connections and will remove apps with such functions from its smart TV platform. The decision follows a new security study published on Monday by Norwegian cybersecurity firm Mnemonic, which revealed that several apps on Samsung’s smart TV platform contained code capable of sharing the owner’s internet connection with strangers, creating potential hijacking risks on millions of Samsung smart TVs. The research indicated that some applications on the Samsung TV platform had functions that could route strangers’ web traffic through a user’s home internet connection, making the traffic appear as if it originated from the TV user. One of the apps identified with this capability was a simple Pac-Man game, which had previously been featured in the Editor’s Choice section of Samsung’s app store. Such functionality can turn a smart TV into a residential proxy exit node, allowing third-party internet traffic to be relayed through the user’s connection. A Samsung spokesperson told TechCrunch via email that the company has restricted the registration of new applications incorporating such proxy functions on its Smart TV platform. The company is now enforcing a strict developer policy across all platforms that explicitly prohibits residential proxy Software Development Kits (SDKs) and is working to identify and remove all currently available apps containing these components. These SDKs can remain dormant until activated to redirect third-party internet traffic through the user’s network-connected device. The security issue is not isolated to Samsung’s platform; last month, LG also announced it would suspend applications capable of turning users’ smart TVs into residential proxy nodes. Similar risks have also been identified in virtual private network (VPN) services, particularly those offered for free.