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Samsung TVs Can Be Hacked Into Endless Restart Loop

Gunkerty Jeb writes "Italian security researcher Luigi Auriemma was trying to play a trick on his brother when he accidentally discovered two vulnerabilities in all current versions of Samsung TVs and Blu-Ray systems that could allow an attacker to gain remote access to those devices. Auriemma claims that the vulnerabilities will affect all Samsung devices with support for remote controllers, and that the vulnerable protocol is on both TVs and Blu-Ray enabled devices. One of the bugs leads to a loop of endless restarts while the other could cause a potential buffer overflow."

9 of 187 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Great trick by xclr8r · · Score: 5, Informative

    The buffer overflow is worrisome . A lot of the newer BluRay Players have additional features like netflix over wifi/homenetwork. The basic consumer may put in their credit card (or ____ forbid their debit card) info to start their netflix account.

    --
    Beware of those who profit off the docile and persecute the unbelievers.
  2. Re:TV by Anaerin · · Score: 4, Informative

    Not yet, but as the TVs run Linux underneath (and have published their sourcecode, as they required to by the GPL) they're working on it: http://www.samygo.tv/

  3. Original article and scope by enriquevagu · · Score: 5, Informative

    The vulnerability is originally disclosed here, not in the posted link.

    This vulnerability only works from the same broadcast domain where the TV is, since the remote control protocol relies on broadcast messages to announce the service. This means that your TV cannot be cracked from the Internet. Let's hope that Samsung apply a fix soon, in any case.

  4. Given that the TVs are running Linux... by Anaerin · · Score: 4, Informative

    Why is this such big news? Did you know you can replace the entire firmware inside your TV too? There's already a group working on getting something usable onto Samsung TVs like these: http://www.samygo.tv/

  5. Re:Init Level 6 by game+kid · · Score: 4, Informative

    Runlevel 5 is the typical X level. You switch to runlevel 6 to reboot the system.

    So you set inittab to default to level 6 when you want to incur general rage and butthurt with a restart loop. :D

    --
    You can hold down the "B" button for continuous firing.
  6. Re:TV by bastafidli · · Score: 3, Informative

    You can look at any website, not sure what you are talking about.

  7. Re:Great trick by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    (or ____ forbid their debit card)

    And?

    Unless you have a very terrible bank and/or don't bother checking your account ever, this isn't exactly a big deal. I just went through this a few weeks ago, when yonder random payment processor got owned hardcore.

    Checked my account - like I do regularly, and found a weird charge. Called up my bank, said, "What is this I don't even?" Bam. Charge killed, money returned, new card in the mail, before I could even say, "Wow, you guys aren't nearly as evil as the Internet led me to believe."

    Of course, I suppose the fact that I actually bother checking my account activity regularly makes me some sort of Fiscal Wizard compared to your average person. :p

  8. Re:Great trick by UnknowingFool · · Score: 4, Informative

    Some banks have very good fraud detection systems and it is in their interest to have them. The sooner they detect it, the less headache they have to deal with. One of my banks froze my card after I made several unexpected large purchases in one day. Another one called me when they noticed suspicious charges to confirm that I did make them. Someone got my card number, but I still had my card so I would not have reported it stolen or lost.

    --
    Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
  9. Re:Great trick by jimbolauski · · Score: 3, Informative

    What the GP is saying is that many banks will issue refunds immediately for fraudulent purchases, and will remove any overdrafts fees if any occurred. In my experience that is how banks work, legally they are not obligated to do so but do so to keep their customers happy. I don't use my debt card for purchases due to the risks but have not heard of any body getting told by the bank that it's not the banks responsibility. Further any overdrafts that occurred from the fraudulent charges will not be assessed because of how they occurred.

    --
    Knowledge = Power
    P= W/t
    t=Money
    Money = Work/Knowledge so the less you know the more you make