Better TV Via Hacking

Smart TVs are just dumb TVs with a computer and a network connection, right? In a variation of rule 34, if it has a computer in it, someone will hack it. When [smarttvhacker] bought a Sony 48 inch smart TV, he noticed all the software licenses listed in the manual and realized that was a big leg up into hacking the TV.

We don’t have a comparable Sony model, but [smarttvhacker’s] post is a veritable travel log of his journey from TV viewer to TV ruler. By analyzing everything from network port scans to a dump of a firmware upgrade, he wound up being able to install a telnet server.

We aren’t sure what he plans to do now that he has a shell prompt, but that really isn’t the point is it? We used to say, if you can’t open it, you don’t own it. Maybe a corollary would be: if you can’t log into it, you don’t own it.

Blackhat had a Samsung TV exploit a few years ago (see video below). On the other hand, why bother? Just make your own with a Raspberry Pi, which has been done more than once.

19 thoughts on “Better TV Via Hacking

  1. “On the other hand, why bother?”

    Please stop asking questions like that. Just point out to the new viewers that instead of hacking a TV that they can do something else and make a computer with a bigger screen for the price of a PI.

    Hack A Day

  2. I always wondered why smart TVs can’t do something as simple as receiving a video stream from an ONVIF compatible network camera or NVR. If you have network cameras on your network already, and you have a network connected television, why not make the TV be an easy-to-use monitor for your cameras?

  3. Hey. I don’t agree with your starting lines that smart tvs are dumb. No – They are not dumb. I can approve it. because I have been using smart tv from LG since last 7 months. And guess what, I am completely satisfied and enjoying this new age technology.

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