You need to patch your LG Smart TV now

Recently discovered vulnerabilities in tens of thousands of LG smart TVs could allow cybercriminals to hack them. To make sure your TV isn't one of the unlucky few devices being unscrupulously hijacked by the Dark Web, make sure to update your device now.

On Tuesday, security company Bitdefender published Security research Four different software errors affecting LG's WebOS TV operating system have been detected. The bugs, affecting about 91,000 devices worldwide, could allow a bad actor to gain a number of invasive privileges, including the ability to gain root access to the affected device. The researchers write that the bugs — which affect WebOS versions 4 through 7 — could hypothetically allow a hacker to add a new user to the device, inject their code into it, and thus “completely take over” the TV. Bitdefender originally alerted LG of these issues in November. Gizmodo has reached out to LG for comment and will update this story if it responds.

Ars Technica He notes this helpfullyIn such cases, it's not just about the possibility of your TV being hijacked. If a bad actor gains access to the accounts associated with your device, they may be able to access a wide range of other personal data, including access to your email account and financial information. You may also end up linking your device to a cryptocurrency mining scheme or botnet.

From the bug map provided by Bitdefender, it appears that about 7,000 devices in the US are vulnerable. The majority of affected devices are located in South Korea and Hong Kong, as well as in Sweden.

To be absolutely sure that your device is safe, you should make sure that your TV is updated to the latest software version. LG Patch released For security issues as part of its latest update on March 22. Most LG devices should download this update automatically. However, if you want to be absolutely sure you have the latest version of WebOS TV, Follow LG's instructions Go to Settings > Support > Software update, and tap Check for updates. If there is one, press “Download and Install”. That's it, that's all you have to do. Now back to broadcasting.