Malware: Smart TV the same as PCs and smartphones
Kaspersky Lab has investigated the case of malware on Smart TV, reiterating that are the same that can be used on PC and smartphone. Advice? Keep your TV up to date.
During the past week a user on Reddit raised an issue that until then seemed impossible, or at least very unlikely. It appears that the Smart TV sister had installed a virus, ransomware specifically asking for a ransom, promising to restore operation of the device. Actually, it was not a threat designed specifically to attack the Smart TV, but an exploit that can be used on PCs and smartphones.
You brought back a picture with the malware running, a web page that could not be closed in the manner canons and that required to make a phone call using the number again to ensure access to the TV. It is one of the threats most celebrated within some circuits fraudulent the web, and which can be circumvented with some ease. At least on the PC. It is enough to browse through the web with a browser, go to the wrong page and be greeted by this message type.
On the issue investigated security expert Dirk Kollberg Kaspersky Lab. The researcher then mentioned that the virus that has taken root on the TV is the same user that could manifest itself on any web browser, whether it is installed on personal computers on smartphone. It’s not a malware designed specifically for the most advanced televisions, but instead is one of the most common threats on the web and that can lead to problems on any device with a built-in browser.
This kind of threat can also become more serious taking advantage of vulnerabilities in the browser, Flash Player or Java. If the attack is successful, it could be installed further malware or change the setting of the DNS, said the security researcher, recalling the importance of keeping up to date the firmware of the TV, especially when the latter does not provide for procedures automated.
