LG TVs Suspected of Eavesdropping on Users Even When Switched Off

Cybersecurity researchers, working together with the tech channels Gamers Nexus and Level1Techs, have uncovered several serious vulnerabilities in LG televisions. According to The Verge, which cites the tests conducted, a compromised LG TV can pick up sound through its built-in microphone even when the device appears to be off or is in standby mode.

This isn't just about real-time audio transmission. When researchers disconnected the TV from the internet via an Ethernet cable, the device, according to the test results, continued to store voice recordings locally. Once reconnected to the network, the accumulated data could be extracted remotely.

If an attacker were to gain control of a TV in a real-world scenario, simply turning off the screen wouldn't stop the eavesdropping. An important caveat: the tests were conducted on a hacked device — that is, a TV that an attacker had already compromised. This doesn't mean that all LG TVs automatically record their owners while switched off.

A Vulnerability as an Entry Point Into the Network

Full technical details have not yet been disclosed in order to prevent hackers from exploiting the flaws. The researchers passed a detailed description of all their findings to LG so the company could prepare the appropriate patches.

According to the experts, a hacked TV could pose a threat not only to its owner's privacy — it could also serve as an entry point into a home or corporate network and potentially provide access to audio or other devices connected to the same network.

Several LG models were tested, including the OLED G5. Using network packet analysis via Wireshark, researchers tracked how the TVs interact with their surroundings. It turned out that the devices actively scan the local network and are able to identify other connected gadgets — phones, computers, printers, network switches, and smart home devices.

Collecting Wi-Fi Network Data and Tracking Content

The TVs also gathered information about nearby Wi-Fi networks — their names and signal strength — as well as data on individual devices. From this information, it's possible to build a fairly detailed picture of a household: what equipment is used and what technologies are in place.

This capability alone doesn't necessarily indicate covert surveillance. LG states that scanning for nearby devices and the ability to link them into a network is a standard feature of smart TVs and other smart home devices.

A separate line of investigation focused on ACR technology — Automatic Content Recognition. It analyzes the image or sound played by the TV and generates a digital fingerprint from it, which can be used to determine what TV show, advertisement, or other content the user is watching.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz