Smart TVs are intriguing pieces of technology that seem to foreshadow a future where our TVs and computers are one and the same. It seems that if nothing else, one of the things that computers and smart TVs--in particular, some of the ones made by Samsung--have in common is a vulnerability to hackers.

According to Threat Post, security researcher Luigi Auriemma has discovered a vulnerability in some Samsung smart TVs that allows one to remotely access the TV, nab files located on a USB flash drive connected to the TV, reconfigure the TV’s remote control, and even gain root access and load up malicious software.


That’s about as vulnerable as a device can get.

It’s unsettling that even an app-based device like smart TV’s can be hacked so completely, but it’s a good thing that there are people like Auriemma find them. However, Auriemma and his company ReVuln don’t disclose vulnerabilities to vendors, which is unfortunate, but he did post a helpful video.


In any case, Auriemma’s best advice to consumers for avoiding this exploit is to disable the smart TV’s online functionality--which will seriously hamstring the device’s usefulness.