Security researchers at Mnemonic discovered that numerous Samsung smart TV apps contain code that turns devices into residential proxy exit nodes, potentially exposing users to unauthorized internet traffic.

Key Points

• Cybersecurity firm Mnemonic identified apps on Samsung smart TVs that funnel external web traffic through home internet connections.
• Affected applications include simple games, such as a Pac-Man title previously featured in Samsung’s "Editor's Choice" section.
• These apps function as residential proxy networks, allowing third parties to use private IP addresses for potentially illicit online activities.
• Samsung is now banning apps that utilize proxy software and is implementing stricter developer policies to remove existing malicious components.
• LG has also initiated a suspension of apps containing similar ResProxy software following reports that 42% of its store apps posed similar risks.

Why it Matters

This discovery highlights significant security vulnerabilities in smart TV ecosystems where low-quality apps can bypass standard review processes. By turning consumer devices into proxy exit nodes, these apps threaten user privacy and could implicate household internet connections in cybercriminal activity.