--- title: Your $3000 Samsung TV is the product, apparently | daily.dev description: A researcher using the handle @log4j says he obtained a root shell on a new 2025 Samsung TV after noticing unusually targeted ads. The firmware was... canonical: https://daily.dev/posts/your-3000-samsung-tv-is-the-product-apparently-vcfyi69xm twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:site: @dailydotdev og:type: website og:site_name: daily.dev og:title: Your $3000 Samsung TV is the product, apparently | daily.dev og:description: A researcher using the handle @log4j says he obtained a root shell on a new 2025 Samsung TV after noticing unusually targeted ads. The firmware was... og:url: https://daily.dev/posts/your-3000-samsung-tv-is-the-product-apparently-vcfyi69xm og:image: https://api.daily.dev/og/posts/vCFyI69Xm.png og:image:alt: Your $3000 Samsung TV is the product, apparently og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 630 og:locale: en --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://daily.dev/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Your $3000 Samsung TV is the product, apparently **[Trends](https://daily.dev/sources/trends)** · 2 min read · 0 upvotes · 0 comments ## Summary A researcher using the handle @log4j says he obtained a root shell on a new 2025 Samsung TV after noticing unusually targeted ads. The firmware was AES-encrypted with no available keys, so he used a zero-day exploit to get in. He lists always-on hot mic functionality, automatic content recognition, geo positioning, network mapping, a targeted ads service, four DRM services, and user profile building. He also reports follow-up findings that code reportedly looks for connected microphones on models without one, and that code exists to artificially change the power LED's state. @karpathy and @BrendanEich reposted @Tristan0x's framing of the thread, and Samsung has not responded in the thread. ## Content A researcher posting as @log4j says he got a root shell on a new (2025) Samsung TV after weirdly targeted ads made him suspicious. The firmware was AES-encrypted with no keys available, so he went the zero-day route. What he found, in his words: "PRIVACY HORROR." The list he posted is long: - Always-on hot mic functionality - Automatic content recognition - Geo positioning and network mapping - A targeted ads service - Four distinct DRM services - User profile building and more telemetry His summary: "just you, God, a $3000 TV and samsung + their 400 partners!" He says more is coming, and posted a screenshot of a file called security-policy.xml. He also tagged @GamersNexus to ask whether they'd cover it. ## The follow-up details are what's spreading Two further findings from @log4j got passed around. One: if a Samsung model has no microphone, the code reportedly looks for connected devices that do have one. @yacineMTB called that "pretty evil and clever." Two: code exists to artificially change the state of the TV's power LED, so, as @log4j put it, "my samsungs TV power led might not be entirely accurate." ## The pile-on Big names amplified the thread. @karpathy and @BrendanEich both reposted @Tristan0x's framing: "If you've ever wondered why smart TVs are so cheap, this is why." That's the cheap-hardware-subsidized-by-surveillance argument, now with a root shell as evidence instead of a hunch. @yacineMTB went further and cast it as a new kind of hobby: "Cyber LLMs finding out that Samsung spies on you illegally." His pitch is to reverse engineer, decompile and back up everything, because the TV's microphone is "phoning outside of your country." That last claim is his characterization, and the thread doesn't show the traffic data behind it. ## Where it stands The full write-up hasn't landed yet, so the strongest claims (hot mic behavior, device-hunting for microphones, LED spoofing) rest on @log4j's screenshots and summaries. Samsung hasn't responded in the thread. What's notable is who is paying attention. A hardware teardown that would normally stay in a niche forum is being boosted by an AI researcher and a browser founder within hours. The mood is less shock than grim vindication: people already suspected the ads subsidized the price tag, and now someone has a root shell and a file listing. ## Questions this post answers ### what privacy concerns were found by rooting a 2025 Samsung smart TV A researcher using the handle @log4j reported obtaining a root shell on a 2025 Samsung TV and found always-on hot mic functionality, automatic content recognition, geo positioning, network mapping, a targeted ads service, four DRM services, and user profile building. These claims come from the researcher's own screenshots and summaries, including a file called security-policy.xml, and have not been independently verified or addressed by Samsung. _Anyone weighing a smart TV purchase can track unverified security claims like these as they develop on daily.dev._ ### can a smart TV access a microphone even if the model doesn't have one built in According to a researcher's unverified claim, if a Samsung TV model lacks a built-in microphone, the code reportedly searches for other connected devices that do have one. The claim was called 'pretty evil and clever' by another commenter, but it has not been confirmed through a published write-up or Samsung's response. _Developers researching IoT privacy risks can follow how these device-hunting claims get verified on daily.dev._ --- Tags: [#tech-news](https://daily.dev/tags/tech-news), [#security](https://daily.dev/tags/security), [#privacy](https://daily.dev/tags/privacy), [#samsung](https://daily.dev/tags/samsung), [#reverse-engineering](https://daily.dev/tags/reverse-engineering) [View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/your-3000-samsung-tv-is-the-product-apparently-vcfyi69xm) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/dailydotdev","https://github.com/dailydotdev","https://www.linkedin.com/company/daily-dev-ltd"]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://daily.dev/#website","url":"https://daily.dev","name":"daily.dev","publisher":{"@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization"},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://daily.dev/search?q={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"TechArticle","headline":"Your $3000 Samsung TV is the product, apparently","url":"https://daily.dev/posts/your-3000-samsung-tv-is-the-product-apparently-vcfyi69xm","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/your-3000-samsung-tv-is-the-product-apparently-vcfyi69xm"},"datePublished":"2026-10-25T19:37:30.279Z","dateModified":"2026-10-25T19:38:14.604Z","description":"A researcher using the handle @log4j says he obtained a root shell on a new 2025 Samsung TV after noticing unusually targeted ads. 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These claims come from the researcher's own screenshots and summaries, including a file called security-policy.xml, and have not been independently verified or addressed by Samsung. Anyone weighing a smart TV purchase can track unverified security claims like these as they develop on daily.dev."}},{"@type":"Question","name":"can a smart TV access a microphone even if the model doesn't have one built in","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"According to a researcher's unverified claim, if a Samsung TV model lacks a built-in microphone, the code reportedly searches for other connected devices that do have one. The claim was called 'pretty evil and clever' by another commenter, but it has not been confirmed through a published write-up or Samsung's response. Developers researching IoT privacy risks can follow how these device-hunting claims get verified on daily.dev."}}]} ```