LG Electronics is tightening security on its webOS smart TV platform to stop residential proxy networks from hijacking devices for malicious web scraping. This policy shift matters because it addresses a direct threat to home networks, where compromised televisions can be turned into botnet nodes without the owner's knowledge. The move follows broader industry concerns about smart TV operating systems being exploited for unauthorized data collection.
Vendors enforce strict developer policies to stop unauthorized web scraping
The company is collaborating with application developers to remove residential proxy options from apps currently available on the webOS platform. John Taylor, Senior Vice President at LG, stated that residential proxy networks are not an intended use of LG Smart TVs. The vendor is actively working to identify and eliminate these features from existing software to restore platform integrity.
This action comes after research revealed that a significant portion of apps on webOS and Samsung's Tizen platform contained botnet code. Spur research found that 42.5% of webOS apps and 26.5% of Tizen apps included components designed to route traffic through residential proxies. These findings followed a report from Lowpass in April 2024 that exposed similar vulnerabilities across Fire TV, Roku, and other smart TV ecosystems.
Samsung has already restricted the registration of new apps containing proxy features and is enforcing a strict developer policy that prohibits residential proxy SDKs. The Korean manufacturer is currently identifying and removing all apps from its store that include these prohibited components. LG is following a similar path by working with developers to clean up the webOS app store.
We looked at the last Smart TV update, several of the same balance and stability themes came up, as vendors respond to security vulnerabilities in their app ecosystems. Both LG and Samsung are prioritizing the removal of malicious code over feature expansion to protect users from unauthorized network activity.
LG and Samsung are now enforcing platform-wide bans on residential proxy SDKs to prevent smart TVs from being used as botnet infrastructure. The companies are removing existing apps with these components and blocking new registrations that include such features. This policy change aims to secure the home network environment for all users.
Discussion
0 comments
Log in to join the thread with a thoughtful take, question, or correction.