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Smart TVs can spy on their owners
Russia Today ^ | 15 Dec 2012

Posted on 12/16/2012 6:25:14 AM PST by shove_it

Viewers, beware: while you’re watching TV, your TV might be watching you back. A security firm discovered that Samsung’s Smart TV can give hackers access to the device’s built-in camera and microphones, allowing them to watch everything you do.

The Malta-based firm ReVuln posted a video showing its team of researchers hacking into one of the Samsung TVs and accessing its settings, channel lists, widgets, USB drives, and remote control configurations. The security flaw allows hackers to access any and all personal data stored on the TV.

“We can install malicious software to gain complete root access to the TV,” the video writes. With this access, hackers can use the Smart TVs built-in camera and microphones to see and hear everything in front of it. Instead of just watching TV, viewers could themselves be watched without knowing it.

But this flaw isn’t present in just one specific model. The vulnerability affects all 11 Samsung televisions of the latest generation. The Smart TVs have many of the same features as a computer, but lack the same kind of protection. The devices do not have security features such as firewalls and antivirus software...

(Excerpt) Read more at rt.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Technical
KEYWORDS: hacking; security
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To: shove_it

Don’t watch TV.


21 posted on 12/16/2012 8:10:54 AM PST by Dallas59 (President Robert Gibbs 2009-2011)
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To: Average Al

So take 2 Smart HDTVs and face them at each other and see what happens....


22 posted on 12/16/2012 8:14:07 AM PST by Cvengr (Adversity in life and death is inevitable. Thru faith in Christ, stress is optional.)
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To: shove_it

Why do I care if I’m spied on?

(my imitation of Smart Meter supporters)


23 posted on 12/16/2012 8:15:36 AM PST by BobL (Did you know that the Chinese now buy close to twice as many new cars as Americans each year?)
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To: All

Dang it! No more watching porn with a rope tight around my neck while mastur . . . I mean . . This is bad. Intrusive even.


24 posted on 12/16/2012 8:30:17 AM PST by BipolarBob (I survived the Lindsay Lohan Bar, Grill and Fight Club.)
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To: shove_it

Look for a Friday night Executive Order requiring this “feature” in all new TVs starting 1/1/13.


25 posted on 12/16/2012 8:30:32 AM PST by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: shove_it

Who wants a TV with a camera and microphone installed?


26 posted on 12/16/2012 9:00:27 AM PST by G Larry (Which of Obama's policies do you think I'd support if he were white?)
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To: shove_it

“With this access, hackers can use the Smart TVs built-in camera and microphones to see and hear everything in front of it. Instead of just watching TV, viewers could themselves be watched without knowing it.”

George Orwell is not only rolling over in his grave, he is laughing at us.

Long live Big Brother!


27 posted on 12/16/2012 9:04:02 AM PST by Road Glide
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To: G Larry

A friend of ours was just telling us she has the new Samsung Smarty TV and she uses it to Skype. Guess her TV is *smarter* than she knew!


28 posted on 12/16/2012 9:05:26 AM PST by Jane Long (Philippians 2:11)
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To: shove_it

Duct tape

Red Green


29 posted on 12/16/2012 9:09:51 AM PST by Vaduz
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To: shove_it

The guy sent to spy on me deserves a pay raise, poor thing.


30 posted on 12/16/2012 9:28:43 AM PST by bgill (We've passed the point of no return. Welcome to Al Amerika.)
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To: shove_it

Post-It over the camera will take out the video portion of the problem. You could also play Yoko Ono or Nina Hagen music to kill the hearing of the folks gathering the audio. You will need hearing protection for yourself though.


31 posted on 12/16/2012 9:34:51 AM PST by Dutch Boy
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To: shove_it

I think I’ll keep my 1982 Zenith.


32 posted on 12/16/2012 9:37:18 AM PST by Nowhere Man (I miss you Whitey! (4-15-2001 - 10-12-2012). Take care, pretty girl!)
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To: shove_it

A short piece of black electrical tape over the lens should solve the problem.


33 posted on 12/16/2012 9:43:42 AM PST by FrankR (They will become our ultimate masters the day we surrender the 2nd Amendment.)
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To: Vaduz
Excellent lo-tech Patriotic solution to hi-tech leftist problem - Duct tape
34 posted on 12/16/2012 9:46:22 AM PST by shove_it (the 0bama regime are the people Huxley, Orwell and Rand warned us about)
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To: CrazyIvan

“Note to self: Stop having sex with Victoria’s Secret models in TV room.”

If I were with Victoria’s Secret models I’d want everybody to know!


35 posted on 12/16/2012 10:22:27 AM PST by outofsalt ("If History teaches us anything it's that history rarely teaches us anything")
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To: shove_it

¿¿¿ W T F ???


36 posted on 12/16/2012 10:27:33 AM PST by dennisw (The first principle is to find out who you are then you can achieve anything)
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To: shove_it

That was a ‘70s/80s conspiracy theory!

When conspiracy theories become reality!


37 posted on 12/16/2012 10:35:00 AM PST by Jack Hydrazine (It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine!)
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To: PeaceBeWithYou

You may have just stumbled on to the reason for the Obama phones....


38 posted on 12/16/2012 11:12:16 AM PST by cableguymn (The founding fathers would be shooting by now..)
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To: shove_it

If I ever had access to someone’s TV like that, whenever they tried to change the channel, I’d change it right back. Just to screw with them, of course.


39 posted on 12/16/2012 11:22:23 AM PST by reagan_fanatic (You are not now, and will never be my President, Mr. Obama.)
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To: ShadowAce

Tech Ping worthy? I’d be interested in knowing what OS is running on these things. I’d bet it was an embedded linux with really bad defaults set up. (Or running as root)


40 posted on 12/16/2012 6:50:47 PM PST by zeugma (Those of us who work for a living are outnumbered by those who vote for a living.)
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