I would expect them to already have code for the major players in the smart TV market. We know they have Samsung already...
Just because you don't believe something does not alas make it true...
ISTR they got there in the end.
I would not take what was reported in the media on that subject too seriously anyway. Perhaps they already had a particularly good way in, and so just wanted to make sure more people of nefarious intent opt for that platform for their "secure" comms?
The software (if that's no too strong a term for what amounts to setting a bit in a latch) already exists.
The screen and audio would not need to be on in the first place. Its not on in standby is it?
It can run all the time.
That's probably not even necessary - the the TV will still be visible on the lan in standby anyway (both my smart TVs are). The vast majority of people are not going to notice small amounts of intermittent network traffic from connected devices, and most consumer routers only have limited capabilities for logging and reporting these things. In the modern home with multiple devices sharing a broadband connection it all soon gets lost in the noise.
Not sure I follow that?
Temporarily perhaps... but even that would be interesting to a spook...
Its a common point of view, and hence one of the reasons that security of so many internet connected things is so poor. Mostly it has not mattered much so far, but the implications the current state are becoming more serious with time. Mass scale DDoS attacks have been carried out by compromised home routers, web cams, and even smart light bulbs!
Here are some reputable security researchers view on the subject:
This one also has more details on this particular hack:
I note that it applies to pa particular 2013 model of TV, and that is required physical access. (also that the particular hack did not work after firmware upgrades and presumably on later models)
That depends. The PSU in our Panasonic has relays that click as it powers up, this includes its 0300 firmware update check. The set looks off, I'm pretty sure the standby LED stays red as well. It doesn't flash green as it does during a full power up start or orange when it's set to record (via HDMI to the PVR).
processing
Aye, and behind the times. AIUI there are steerable mic arrays in some american football stadiums that enable the operator to hear converstations between the players, on the field, during the game, in real time (or what goes for real time in "live" TV these days). Not small arrays mind, think low hundreds of microphones.
It was a criminal case wasn't it. Iexpect the judge would have to throw it out of court if they used the CIA to crack it and if the CIA did crack it then everyone would know their phones could be hacked. There is good reason to think that the CIA wouldn't crack it even if they could.
Trivial IF THEN statement.
Trivial IF THEN statement
Trivial leave it on.
As I said before it doesn't have to be on the owners LAN if it uses Wifi.
I think you are the only one that says anything about them watching everyone.
Its just another tool that has been lost because of the paranoid people that think the government will use it against the innocent.
Don't knock cheap electret mics against the likes of DPA's etc. The cheapos sound really very good and no way reflect the 100 times price difference. What they fail on is normally physical, size, mounting and resistance to handling noise.
Still an array. B-)
A pair will do left/right but what about up/down and near/far?
Don't confuse the other dave with facts he likes to think he is the expert and that it can't be done.
Several problems.
The hardware would wipe the memory if more than "n" unsuccesful attempts were made to access/crack the phone.
Apple had/have the abilty to do it and, quite correctly IMHO, were not prepared to share that abilty with the CIA/FBI.
Apple were happy to take the phone, extract the data and return both to the CIA/FBI.
As I see it the CIA/FBI wanted more than just the data on the phone, they really wanted the abilty to crack apples.
Binaural recording?
Not entirely convinced by up/down though.
Tim
Just send round and "engineer" with a tool box and "ID" with a story that the TV is subject to a "recall" and free safety check. They'll know what make/model TV it is, when/where it was bought and the names of the people at the property.
Engineer PAT tests the telly, (looks good, produces sticker for the back of the set) then puts USB stick in with "diagnostic" software that shows progress bars and "PSU test: PASS", "LCD drive: PASS", "Sound: PASS" (after sending a squeak signal", etc. Mean while it's loading the malware in the background...
No, a each maker is different for a start, if only in the makers logo used. B-)
Then within a maker there are models, then country variations, then variations in model over time. I would not be at all surprised to find that OTA updates are tied right down to the sets serial number. And the update metadata says this update is for maker/model/serial numbers xxx to yyy and xxx can equal yyy. ie you can target a given set.
OTA does require copoperation of the maker and OTA system. If the set is visible to the internet going in that way would be far less obvious. I bet there are people watching the OTA update stream(s) and would spot a single set update. Wether they would publicise the fact is another matter.
*counting*
The connections list, not the DHCP or ARP tables, in my AP gives the MAC address of anything it can hear. It shows these MACs in two lists connected and not connected.
Via ethernet AP back haul...
Store and forward. Once forwarded why keep them? Same with historical location data, the system needs to know where a phone is *now* to work. It doesn't need to know where a phone was yesterday, let alone last month or year.
Too much of a black or white question.
But if a microphone costing a few pence (as dennis says) was as good as any, why would professional ones sometimes cost thousands?
But then there's no earthly point using a high quality microphone for a band limited device like a telephone.
Interesting point. The snoopers being charged for all the data they gather. Or being prosecuted for stealing something - that the owner is charged for.
How many separately switched power rails do you think are in the average TV - all controlled via the software? Why would you provide the ability to turn off picture and sound etc but power up the rest if this was never needed in practice? Especially on budget priced stuff like Samsung?
How does it tell the difference from a source 1m from each mic and 10m from each mic?
You think the sort of mic array they use at a sporting event would be suitable for micing up a stage - where sound reinforcement is in use?
That array of mics mounted along with the speakers - as you'd have to do with this snoop TV?
Do get a life, dennis.
I'm interested in the practicality of such and arrangement - not your theories.
Something like that, but if you compromise the firmware, you can download what you want, and make the LEDs do whatever you want. You only have to look at what OpenWRT can do with domestic routers.
If you've identified a possible terrorist and are going to send a man round to install special software on his TV...
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