When K-State’s IT security team investigated a compromised system detected by its Intrusion Detection System last week, they were surprised to discover that the infected device was a television! Yes, a TV. Of course it’s not just any ol’ TV — it’s a special Samsung TV that also has a computer and operating system in it, so it can be used for multiple functions. In this case, it was used as an information kiosk in the lobby of a building to provide touch-screen access to information about the building and the department housed therein.
This device is running a special “embedded” version of Windows XP that had unpatched vulnerabilities. Since it was connected to the campus network, it was exposed to hackers — who exploited the vulnerabilities, took over control of the computer portion of the device, connected it to an IRC botnet, and used it to transfer pirated movies and who-knows-what-else.
Continue reading “A hacked TV at K-State = a "sign" of things to come?”
