ⓘ Gamers Nexus on YouTube – edited Testing revealed that webOS records user voice prompts in plain text. Research by Gamers Nexus found that LG smart TVs scan local networks to map nearby phones and devices. Testing also showed that devices can capture microphone audio with the screen off; They then upload data once they reconnect to the Internet. LG smart TVs continuously scan home networks, map secondary devices, and record microphone audio while they appear to be turned off, according to a new 135-minute video released by Gamers Nexus (see below). In more detail, Steve had been working with Level1Techs and independent security researchers. Together, they tested retail LG OLED models, including the G5. Network packet captures taken via Wireshark showed that the TVs were actively scanning the local area network for unrelated hardware, including phones and smart watches. In addition to internal IP addresses, the teams also collected the names and signal strengths of neighboring Wi-Fi networks, as well as location data. This data collection pool is fed into LG Ad Solutions (the targeted advertising arm of the company). LG claims it has approximately 216 million smart TV sales worldwide. On the other hand, the advertising division says it has access to 363 million secondary addressable devices in the US alone by tracking other hardware on the same network. The suites also run automated content recognition (ACR). Display audio and video on screen in fingerprints to record what users see in the inputs. While ACR has been well documented in the past, new evidence shows that data collection goes far beyond that. During bench testing, they found that the TV was able to capture clean audio from the microphone while the screen was (or at least appeared to be) off in standby mode. When the computer disconnected the TV from Ethernet, the computer continued to save the voice input locally and loaded the stored files once network access was restored. Researchers also documented remote code execution vulnerabilities in webOS that are currently undergoing the responsible disclosure process. Due to the fact that the TV uses a wide network of listeners and the data comes out of the box, the team’s recommendation was to directly disconnect LG TVs from the Internet and use external streaming devices. LG has not commented on any of this at the time of writing this article. Anubhav Sharma – Senior Tech Writer – 1959 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2024 Most of my time is spent writing and somehow it still hasn’t stopped being fun. My work primarily revolves around everyday technology, gaming, watches, DIY modding, and the occasional article on the chaos of tech policy when companies and governments collide. I try to keep things simple and honest, without making it sound like a product brochure. I have a bachelor’s degree in Computer Science Engineering and an associate’s degree in English Studies from the College of New Caledonia in British Columbia, Canada. Away from articles and deadlines, life often revolves around making music, taking photos, or trying to finish games that should have been completed months ago.
