If LG can document twenty models in one manual it should be possible to cover quite a few without becoming too confusing. But do drop me a note when you find something that is different and I'll make a note or put in charts showing differences by model/revision/whatever. Unless noted otherwise all information here relates to that one model, so your mileage may vary. I only own a single 32LF11-UA, so can only include first hand knowledge of it. These pages are partly to document my research efforts and hopefully to act as a central information store for related products.
Everything else is fair game.Īnd while I wouldn't post service manuals or datasheets I would use the information within to flesh out these pages. So that pretty much rules out distributing complete firmware images. However nothing outright illegal will be discussed here and no copyright violations.
This manual will disclose every secret on these products that I can discover, will offer up for download every scrap of source and binary code that I can find that has a redistributable license. Information to understand and fully utilize a product shouldn't be some sort of state secret but we don't live in a sane world. LG TV Hacking Guide LG TV Hacking Guide This is the information that vendors SHOULD include but don't. This article explains how I was able to exploit a command injection vulnerability in my Smart TV and use Netcat to gain remote shell access on.
See also: LG fumbles response to Smart TV spying revelation, withdraws Smart Ad videoįound this article interesting? Follow Graham Cluley on Twitter to read more of the exclusive content we post.Smart TV manufacturer LG, which is embroiled in a controversy after reports that their devices were spying on what channels viewers were.
Learn more on DoctorBeet’s blog, including a list of domains that you could block on your router, to prevent data being transmitted by your smart TV.ĭo you have an LG Smart TV? Were you aware it was collecting information about your TV viewing habits? Leave a comment below, telling us your thoughts.įurther reading: LG says it will push out firmware update for spy TVs, but fails to apologise But if consumers are not clearly warned of the feature, and given a method of turning it off, the most sensible choice may be to choose a different manufacturer for your TV viewing. In September, The Register reported that LG had struck a deal with Cognitive Networks to serve targeted adverts, based upon an analysis of the images shown on the TV screen – but this does not appear to be connected to the option setting that DoctorBeet has uncovered.Ĭlearly LG is very keen to monetise the millions of TV it has out there with targeted advertising. Network traffic mentioning “Midget_Porn_2013.avi”. Sure enough, network traffic suggested that the TV was attempting to share information about the file being watched via the internet.
In what will concern the privacy-conscious even more, DoctorBeet discovered that his LG Smart TV was also attempting to send the names of media files accessed on TV-connected USB sticks back to the television manufacturer.ĭoctorBeet tested this by creating a file called Midget_Porn_2013.avi, shoving it on a USB thumb drive he stuck into his TV, and accessing the media content. If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact us again. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause you. We understand you feel you should have been made aware of these T’s and C’s at the point of sale, and for obvious reasons LG are unable to pass comment on their actions. The advice we have been given is that unfortunately as you accepted the Terms and Conditions on your TV, your concerns would be best directed to the retailer. Here is the reply that DoctorBeet got back from LG’s helpdesk when he asked them to comment on the enforced data collection and profiling of customers: Astonishingly, DoctorBeet subsequently discovered by examining network traffic that his TV was reporting information about his viewing habits back to LG *regardless* of whether he had the system option “Collection of watching info” enabled or not.