Thousands of smart TV apps on LG and Samsung platforms contain software that turns home internet connections into residential proxies, potentially routing third-party web traffic through private networks.

Key Points

• Security firm Spur identified residential proxy software in over 2,000 apps across LG’s webOS and Samsung’s Tizen platforms.
• The software allows third parties to route web traffic through a user's home IP address, often for data scraping or advertising purposes.
• Apps containing this code include seemingly harmless utilities like games, clocks, and screensavers.
• Developers often include these proxy SDKs as a monetization tool, sometimes offering ad-free experiences in exchange for "bandwidth sharing."
• Smart TVs are ideal hosts for this activity because they remain powered on, connected to the internet, and rarely monitored by users.
• LG has announced it will suspend apps that continue to utilize residential proxy functionality.

Why it Matters

This practice turns household internet connections into infrastructure for third-party traffic without the user fully understanding the security or privacy implications. Because smart TVs lack transparent network monitoring, homeowners may unknowingly host malicious or unauthorized activity that could impact their network's reputation and security.