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LG to ban residential proxies from smart TV apps

krebsonsecurity.com

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Re: LG to ban residential proxies from smart TV apps

#281

Post by account42 »

TeMPOraL wrote: post #152
ahartmetz wrote: post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Fine with Linux though :) LG's behavior isn't fine, but their monitors don't install crapware on Linux.

The monitors aren't installing anything. That headline was a lie. It's Windows Update that's installing LG crapware upon seeing relevant hardware IDs. That's why the problem affected older monitors too - it's the update side that suddenly started to ship malware.

The headline isn't a lie, even if you can technically nitpick it.

The manufacturer implemented choices to deliberately install the software when the monitors are connected. The mechanism is not important to why this is outrageous.

Re: LG to ban residential proxies from smart TV apps

#282

Post by tosti »

ahartmetz wrote: post #85
nvme0n1p1 wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Samsung scored highest on https://www.rtings.com/ for my criteria, and I'm happy with the purchase. I didn't connect it to the network, of course. (I had to stop my handyman from connecting it and he seemed to think I was crazy for insisting.)

"I work in software. I have seen things you people wouldn't believe. Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion. I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate..."

Eddy currents causing pressurized air deflecting cosmic rays striking drive platters flipping bits...

Re: LG to ban residential proxies from smart TV apps

#283

Post by mlrtime »

manarth wrote: post #197
s1ncere wrote: post #30

Stop hooking up your LG tv to any network

Want to stream Netflix? Disney+? Hulu? You need to hook something up to a network, and another device would have similar risks. Setting up a sandboxed VPC or auditing traffic is beyond the means of the average TV owner.

You have 3 replies all saying the same thing, install a ATV...

But the replies are missing the point that most people aren't techies and won't go do this. They go to big box store, buy the tv, ask if it has netflix, done.

They won't (and shouldn't need to) install a ATV.

Re: LG to ban residential proxies from smart TV apps

#284

Post by account42 »

delta_p_delta_x wrote: post #160
TeMPOraL wrote: post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The monitors aren't installing anything. That headline was a lie. It's Windows Update that's installing LG crapware upon seeing relevant hardware IDs. That's why the problem affected older monitors too - it's the update side that suddenly started to ship malware.

> It's Windows Update that's installing LG crapware upon seeing relevant hardware IDs This is also a misrepresentation. Microsoft has provided LG with a certificate to sign its driver packages with, and allows LG to upload packages to Windows Update, which includes a feature to install sidecar applications. Now, the spirit of this feature is that any application is meant to provide genuine configuration functionality…

> One can't expect that every driver package submission from every vendor is thoroughly vetted every time

Why not? Microsoft isn't a struggling startup. They can afford to do just that.

Re: LG to ban residential proxies from smart TV apps

#285

Post by mlrtime »

tosti wrote: post #279
smcleod wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unfortunately they make arguably the best OLEDs and webOS is pretty decent to use (especially compared to the terrible OS that Samsung and Sony run). I think the best thing people can do is update their firmware then disconnect it from the internet. Using an AppleTV or similar provides a better experience than any TVs built in apps anyway.

3 out of 4 OLED screens in my household suffer from burned pixels. It's the early 90s all over again with OLED.

I have 3 LG OLEDs of all different generation and they all still go great. It is by far the best tv you can get vs other manufacturers.

Re: LG to ban residential proxies from smart TV apps

#286

Post by quotemstr »

ozlikethewizard wrote: post #267
quotemstr wrote: post #245

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is, though. Why should I not be able to agree, with sufficiently informed consent, to route traffic through a connection I operate via a computer I own using software I've chosen of my own free will to install? What's the difference between running a Tor exit node and a "residential proxy" except optics? Look: I'm 100% for banning secret proxies that hide from the user, but stopping people knowingly and voluntaril…

The difference is the user. Your average smart TV user doesn't know what a residential proxy is, hell who's installing/playing the games but children? Consumer regulation to protect consumers from a knowledge disparity that leads to uninformed consent isn't a bad thing imo.

[flagged]

Re: LG to ban residential proxies from smart TV apps

#287

Post by mlrtime »

jedberg wrote: post #53
smcleod wrote: post #43

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Unfortunately they make arguably the best OLEDs and webOS is pretty decent to use (especially compared to the terrible OS that Samsung and Sony run). I think the best thing people can do is update their firmware then disconnect it from the internet. Using an AppleTV or similar provides a better experience than any TVs built in apps anyway.

I haven’t looked recently but last I checked Samsung made the best panels. Has that changed recently?

Samsung is worse, their OS is horrendous. LG allows local control fairly well and has Home Assistant support.

Samsung is a complete mess, now charging $5/month to use smarthings with no local control. I'll never buy Samsung.

Re: LG to ban residential proxies from smart TV apps

#288

Post by ledoge »

tosti wrote: post #263
TeMPOraL wrote: post #248

Earlier quoted context omitted.

20 years ago people would've called it a trojan horse. But then, by standards of two decades ago, every website that cannot legally avoid showing a GDPR popup would be classified as malware. As it should be today. Alas, standards have changed.

There were no cookie popups 20 years ago.

I think they meant that the use of cookies for analytics/tracking, which is what triggers the popup requirement, would have been considered malicious.

Re: LG to ban residential proxies from smart TV apps

#289

Post by quotemstr »

account42 wrote: post #280
quotemstr wrote: post #245

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is, though. Why should I not be able to agree, with sufficiently informed consent, to route traffic through a connection I operate via a computer I own using software I've chosen of my own free will to install? What's the difference between running a Tor exit node and a "residential proxy" except optics? Look: I'm 100% for banning secret proxies that hide from the user, but stopping people knowingly and voluntaril…

We're not talking about people voluntarily installing proxies, we're talking about proxies piggy backing on apps that are marketed for an entirely different purpose.

The article is clear that LG is talking about banning all proxies, even voluntarily installed ones. A smart TV is a computer. Why should the owner of a computer not be allowed to run any program he wants?

Re: LG to ban residential proxies from smart TV apps

#290

Post by _joel »

tosti wrote: post #263
TeMPOraL wrote: post #248

Earlier quoted context omitted.

20 years ago people would've called it a trojan horse. But then, by standards of two decades ago, every website that cannot legally avoid showing a GDPR popup would be classified as malware. As it should be today. Alas, standards have changed.

There were no cookie popups 20 years ago.

Err, there were, prepare to feel old "Cookie consent pop-ups first started appearing following the adoption of the ePrivacy Directive in 2002" 25 years!
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