Samsung TVs can be plunged into endless restarts with easy attack

Some WiFi-connected Samsung TVs can be put into an endless restart loop by sending invalid new-remote-added messages to them. Best part: the researcher who discovered this couldn't report it, because Sammy doesn't have a locatable facility for accepting information about security flaws.

“The bugs have been tested on a d6000 and d6050 TV, but it's highly possible that many of the Samsung devices supporting this protocol are vulnerable because d6xxx is a recent TV and usually these 'core' components are like libraries shared with other devices that make use of the same protocol,” he said via email.
Auriemma claims there is no fix for these bugs because he was unable to report the bugs to Samsung. He has also received no word from Samsung. He claims that Samsung doesn’t even have a channel through which to report these types of bugs.

Researcher Causes Endless Restart Loop on Samsung TVs (via The Command Line)

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Guest

Had something very similar happen to my JVC RPTV a few years back. It had a bug where if you simply tuned in an HDTV station that broadcasting invalid program guide info (thanks Comcast!) the digital tuner would brick.
Mike N.

I don’t think Samsung really cares to be honest. They’d much rather you buy a new TV (or other widget) every year.
EH

Just go to all of the stores around you that sell these TVs and foist the bug on them with a modified TV-B-Gone. I’m sure Best Buy and Walmart have ways of getting the message to Samsung when all of their Sammy’s on the floor are no longer usable.
Lobster

First they came for the Samsung TVs, and I did nothing, because I am not a Samsung TV.
gellfex

Samsung is a heartbreaker by making terrific products…generally. But when they fail, their customer service is horrendous and unresponsive. There’s a class action on them for badly designed fridges that fail early. I have one of the above mentioned TVs, and it’s audio out jack was destroyed by a kid tripping on the wire. Their response: tough, you broke it. No warranty for you!

In theory these smart tv’s should be future proof because the apps update all the time. But as Mike said, they’re motivated to make you buy a new tv, who knows?
- Lasse Langwadt Christensen
  
  you expect them to repair an audio jack you broke ?
  warranty is for faults they made not you breaking it with force
soylent_plaid

I guarantee you that Samsung will have a channel through which to sue Mr. Auriemma right into the ground for “leaking trade secrets”.
http://www.kmoser.com kmoser

“He claims that Samsung doesn’t even have a channel through which to report these types of bugs.”

Nonsense. Just send it to their CEO via certified mail.
Chentzilla

You know that Sammy is a different company altogether, right?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sega_Sammy_Holdings
klempit

Our experience was pretty good with Samsung on an older out of warranty LCD set. Power supply failure fixed free out of warranty. I imagine after this post and comment chain they’ll pay some attention.