Malware is everywhere these days. You might expect to find it when downloading strange programs from dark corners of the internet, but these are far from the only locations that can infect your devices. Despite strict review processes, official app marketplaces like Google's Play Store and Apple's App Store can feature apps containing malware. Now, that also extends to smart TV app marketplaces, as well.
As reported by TechCrunch, Samsung recently banned apps that share the users' internet connections with "strangers." Before the ban, "hundreds of millions" of users may have downloaded these apps onto their smart TVs, which put a huge fraction of Samsung's customers in jeopardy. These apps weren't necessarily shady, either. At least one of these apps, a Pac-Man game, was actually promoted by Samsung itself: The company featured it in an "Editor's Choice" area that customers would see on their smart TVs.
The issue, as discovered by security firm Mnemonic, comes from a data collection company called Bright Data. This company's code hides processes that would allow strangers to route their web traffic through your home internet. Once set up, the malicious apps wouldn't even need to be open for outsiders to tap into your network, which they could use for any purpose they wish. As TechCrunch highlights, these "resproxy" networks are being used more frequently for cybercrime, as it makes it difficult to trace this activity. Someone in England could route their activity through your home internet in Arizona, which would make it nearly impossible to discover their actual whereabouts.
It might seem surprising that Samsung would allow such apps on its official app marketplace, but many of these apps had clever tricks to evade capture. Many were extremely simple programs and only contained a handful of lines of code. These apps would pull in content from a remote server, creating the illusion that they were fully functioning apps. But from Samsung's point of view, these apps were simple and safe. This isn't a Samsung issue, either: LG also banned respoxy apps, shortly after it came out that over 40% of the apps on its marketplace added users' smart TVs to proxy networks.
Also complicating matters is that legitimate apps contain Bright Data's code. Play.Works, which licenses games like Pac-Man, but also Space Invaders, Tetris, Doodle Jump, and SpongeBob, included Bright Data's code in their ports. You'd likely assume downloading an official SpongeBob app to your TV would be safe, but, unbeknownst to you, it actually contains this sleeper resproxy code.
How to protect yourself from malicious smart TV apps
The good news in this case is Samsung has banned these apps from its app marketplaces. As such, you shouldn't have to worry about installing apps that will let outsiders tap into your internet connection. The same goes for LG as well. But not all smart TV manufacturers may have caught up yet, which means there is a risk that the apps you download on your TV could be malicious.
Researchers also found that simply installing these apps won't turn your TV into a respoxy device. While the code may load on your TV, you need to explicitly agree to a consent screen before you activate the code and turn your TV into a network node. As such, stay vigilant with any pop-ups on your smart TV apps, and deny consent to anything you either don't understand or don't feel is necessary to the function of the app. In addition, delete any suspicious apps, or any you no longer use: While the code can run without the app open, it gets deleted when you remove the app.
From here, general best practices will go a long way. Before you install an app on your smart TV (or, really, any device), inspect it carefully and exercise skepticism. Look through its app store listing, and make sure the description is free of spelling or grammatical errors. Look at the images, and note whether they appear high or low-quality, or whether they match the description for the app. Scan reviews, both for negative feedback from users, as well as obvious fakes inflating the overall rating. Investigate the app developer: Do they make other apps? Do those apps appear legitimate?
But as far as app marketplaces go, smart TVs have a poor reputation. As a general rule of thumb, it's probably best to avoid smart TV apps as much as possible. While mainstream streaming apps should be safe, there are too many possible loopholes present to say for sure whether various games and utility apps are secure.
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