Gamers Nexus, with Level1Techs and independent security researchers, found that several LG TV models could identify devices on a local network and capture audio even when the LG TV appeared to be off. For owners of LG TVs, that means a set in the living room may reveal more about the home network than the screen ever shows.
LG TVs on the local network
Packet captures and firmware analysis showed the tested TVs identifying phones, PCs, printers, switches, and smart-home hardware on the same network. The researchers also said the sets collected nearby Wi-Fi network names, signal information, and device-related identifiers, which turns a television into a passive inventory tool for everything nearby.
Audio storage and access
The researchers demonstrated that a compromised TV could capture audio through its microphone, including when the TV appeared to be off. They also showed the TV stored audio while it was unplugged from the internet and retrieved it after the connection was restored, so a temporary network break did not stop the data from being held locally.
Remote-code-execution risk
The team reported remote-code-execution vulnerabilities to LG, and the responsible disclosure process is still ongoing. That leaves two different risk paths in play: some findings describe intended product behavior, while others depend on weaknesses that could let an attacker turn a TV into a foothold on a home or business network, listen through the microphone, or probe other devices.
Owners of LG TVs should treat the set like any other networked computer that can sit between the household and the rest of the devices on it. The unresolved piece is which exact LG TV models fall inside the tested group, and that scope will determine how many households should inspect their setup first.
Malwarebytes and ACR history
The broader concern is not limited to one brand. Malwarebytes previously reported on Samsung settling a lawsuit with the Texas Attorney General over smart TV data collection and monetizing viewing data with Automated Content Recognition, a system that samples what appears on or is heard through a TV and builds a digital fingerprint to match programs, ads, and viewing habits.
