Smart TVs could be vulnerable to malware

Source: Trend Micro. Screenshot of sites which serve malware.

Trend Micro has highlighted a flaw in an older versions of Android that is making many smart TVs vulnerable, naming Changhong, Konka, Mi, Philips, Panasonic, and Sharp as some of the brands whose TVs which may be affected. The flaw, CVE-2014-7911, can be found in Android versions before Lollipop 5.0 (Cupcake 1.5 to Kitkat 4.4W.2).

The security vendor said there are malicious apps targeting mainly smart TVs or smart TV boxes, with sites that distribute these apps located under the H.TV name.

According to a Trend Micro blog post, the attackers lure smart TV users to such a website and get them to install the apps infected with malware. Once these are installed, the attacker will trigger the vulnerability in the system. After gaining unauthorised privileges, a cyber criminal can install others apps or malware onto the system. 

While the method is no different from getting malware installed on a smartphone or a PC, TVs were not connected to the Internet in the past and users may not realise that smart models are just as vulnerable to malware as any other connected device.