LG TVs are facing intense scrutiny following a video demonstration suggesting the devices can track user activity and scan local networks for other devices, even when the TVs are powered off or not actively in use.
YouTube channels Gamers Nexus and Level1Techs collaborated with security researchers to analyze the tracking capabilities of LG TVs, including the high-end G5 OLED model. Their findings, presented through packet captures, indicated that the TVs actively scan the local area network (LAN) for other connected devices. Steve Burke, editor-in-chief of Gamers Nexus, stated that the TV "crawled our entire network and found dozens of unrelated devices, including smartwatches and phones of our staff who didn’t even know we were working on this."
Using Wireshark, a network protocol analyzer, and inspecting the TV's firmware, the researchers determined that LG TVs are capable of identifying a user's IP address, geographic location, the names and signal strengths of Wi-Fi networks in the vicinity, and details about neighboring Wi-Fi networks. They also found the TVs could identify other devices on the network, even if not connected to the TV, along with their internal IP addresses.
LG's advertising arm, LG Ad Solutions, has previously stated in marketing materials that it can reach 363 million "addressable secondary devices" in the US. The implications of the newly revealed tracking capabilities are significant, as it is unclear whether this data is used for purposes beyond advertising, such as diagnostics, or if it is transmitted to LG. The fact that these devices are present in consumers' homes without their full awareness is a major concern.
Burke emphasized that this functionality is native to the TVs and does not rely on exploiting vulnerabilities. He also noted that even using an LG smart TV as a "dumb monitor" might not disable all of these tracking features. The findings also raise broader concerns for other smart TV brands, as similar functionalities could be present across the market. Burke pointed to the common practice of internet service providers offering dual SSIDs, which include open neighborhood Wi-Fi hotspots, potentially leading to devices autoconnecting to unknown networks.
