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Read this before you buy that TV streaming stick

krebsonsecurity.com

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Re: Read this before you buy that TV streaming stick

#261

Post by TylerE »

matheusmoreira wrote: post #241
ahahs wrote: post #216

Earlier quoted context omitted.

this is a good question, i asked claude sonnet 5 and the answer is too big and complex for me to type out on mobile. but long story short, you absolutely need separate VLANs and Firewalls in conjuction to secure traffic between networks

Yeah, I've been using Claude to help me secure my home network. I applied to Anthropic's cyber program and got accepted despite being a hobbyist. I'm not very good at networks so I'm gonna try to make the most of it. Really wish I could point Mythos at my router and just loop it until my router becomes literally unhackable.

Making your router unhackable is trivial. Just pull the AC cord. You didn't specify that it had to be useable.

Re: Read this before you buy that TV streaming stick

#262

Post by altruios »

omilu wrote: post #251
al_borland wrote: post #180

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One of the main value propositions for retailers in a world of endless cheap garbage being sold online, is to vet products so customers can trust that what their buying is from a legitimate company and not junk or stuff like these streaming sticks. This is the problem with being an “everything store”. “Everything” includes a lot of things most consumers would like to be protected from, and assume they are due to the…

Costco vets their products very well, if I see something at costco and its something I need I just buy it. No need to research and I've never been burned. They only sell good quality stuff.

Costco isn't perfect, and things slip through still.

For example: this is a minor annoyance, but comes readily to mind.

https://www.costco.com/p/-/orgain-organic-protein-and-superf...

The problem is labeling conventions leading to inaccurate assumptions of what's even IN that "protein powder"...

you would think the protein, being the largest in print, is the primary ingredient but no. A serving is 51grams, and the protein makes up 21grams of that serving: less than half, that's not a 'protein powder' if the primary ingredient isn't protein.

It should be labeled "SUPERFOODS with protein" not the other way around.

There have been other things similar in scope less readily recalled. It may seem minor to some... but labeling accuracy and transparency is something we had to fight for collectively.

Re: Read this before you buy that TV streaming stick

#263

Post by tomaskafka »

Tangurena2 wrote: post #197
pavel_lishin wrote: post #6

> generic TV boxes that promise unlimited content streaming for a one-time fee I don't want to blame the purchasers of these things - who are some of the victims - but at the same time, it does seem like a Too Good To Be True situation.

The streaming services have fractured and taken so many movies off their service so much that it is too hard for most people to figure out where that show/movie can be found. From a link above to the story on darknetdiaries: > For Pokemon, there is a website that tells you how to watch this. You start off on Netflix, then swap over to the Pokemon streaming service, which is the only place that has Season 2, then swap…

And yet they can all be comfortably watched at a single place, with high quality and no ads.

Re: Read this before you buy that TV streaming stick

#264

Post by russdill »

matheusmoreira wrote: post #105

That reminds me, I need to configure VLANs in my router so that all my trusted computers are isolated from all the other garbage that makes it into the network.

Seems like a motivation to switch to using a VPN for such untrusted devices that still require internet access.

Re: Read this before you buy that TV streaming stick

#265

Post by Slash65 »

zdragnar wrote: post #253
bdamm wrote: post #246

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My electric mower has lasted longer than the gasoline mower before it, which literally had plastic valves inside the carbeurtator.

Counter anecdote, I've had gas mowers survive decades and EV electrical equipment (in this case, a chainsaw and a battery pack for a mower) both die within 14 months of purchase.

This is my experience as well. String trimmer battery went out (still in warranty and replaced) but my gas string trimmer I use at a bigger property came home with me and worked great. She’s only 15 years old, the battery was 6 months. I love my battery blower and string trimmer, but the gas ones are going strong but typically stay at the ranch property due to it being a bigger property to maintain. I would also need 3-4 battery’s out there to keep up with maintaining it, the gas is a whole lot cheaper than a grands worth of battery’s.

Re: Read this before you buy that TV streaming stick

#266

Post by CrimsonCape »

PufPufPuf wrote: post #169

My "streaming device" of choice, ThinkCentre Tiny with Linux, always feels validated with news like these. It fits behind a TV, you can get it second hand for around $40 and depending on model it can even act as a retro game console as well.

Is there a good TV UI OS that runs desktop youtube under the hood for ad blocking?

Re: Read this before you buy that TV streaming stick

#267

Post by bashtoni »

tomaskafka wrote: post #259

At this point China probably has a botnet that can be turned on with a few deploys, and spans a majority of homes in US and RU (and thus is unblockable without disconnecting half of voters from the internet). Ready to attack the infrastructure.

I don't know where you get the idea this is a nation state attack.

The devices are used to sell proxy services and scam advertisers. This doesn't even need particularly large organised crime. It would certainly be easier than large scale illicit drug importation and retail, which is happening all the time.

Could China exploit these streaming sticks if it wanted to? Maybe, but no more than any other nation.

Re: Read this before you buy that TV streaming stick

#268

Post by bashtoni »

SoftTalker wrote: post #145

> Despite repeated warnings from the FBI and security industry leaders about the security and privacy risks of using these streaming devices, major e-commerce providers like Amazon, Best Buy, Newegg and others continue to sell hundreds of different models and brands I scanned the comments and I didn't see anyone suggesting that these companies should share any responsibility for selling these harmful products. Why is…

Yes, fascinating that this is apparently all the fault of Chinese companies, and not the American companies distributing and retailing these products.

Re: Read this before you buy that TV streaming stick

#269

Post by actionfromafar »

exe34 wrote: post #258
Gigachad wrote: post #247

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Everything is garbage now. It’s the end state of unrestrained capitalism.

Surely not, the invisible hand of the market should crawl up their arse and make them do the right thing any day now.

The invisible hand crawled up the arses of Congress and seems to enjoy it there.

Re: Read this before you buy that TV streaming stick

#270

Post by xorcist »

ur-whale wrote: post #207
matheusmoreira wrote: post #105

That reminds me, I need to configure VLANs in my router so that all my trusted computers are isolated from all the other garbage that makes it into the network.

Mmmh, I've always wondered ... as much as VLAN's are a very useful tools to - for example - route two separate LAN's traffic through a shared physical link ... are they any good when it come to security? I mean, I don't believe VLAN's were designed with security as a goal, and I wonder how "strong" the virtual wall between two VLAN's actually is? Can't a device on VLAN1 not peek at VLAN2 traffic if it sits on physica…

Network switches typically aren't known for their outstanding security record, but the vlan tags themselves are trivial and should be hard to mess up. Should someone hack your switch all bets are off, but as long as you don't have management accessible in-band you should be fine. Security problems are more likely to stem from bad configuration.

> Can't a device on VLAN1 not peek at VLAN2 traffic if it sits on physical connection where packets from both VLANs happen to travel?

That would be an exceptionally weird configuration. If a device "sits on VLAN1" that typically means that it's on an "untagged" port where only VLAN1 traffic is allowed. Ports that carry multiple VLANs are "tagged" ports and you normally wouldn't say they "sit" on any specific VLAN, precisely because that port carries tagged traffic for multiple VLANs. It's at best an irregular use of the terminology but likely a misunderstanding somewhere.

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