LG to suspend webOS apps that act as residential proxies

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By NewSunSEO July 26, 2026

Security researchers at the threat intelligence firm Spur found that 42% of apps available on LG smart TVs, and 26.5% of apps on Samsung TVs, contain built-in residential proxy functionality that lets strangers route internet traffic through a viewer’s home connection. After being notified, LG Electronics told journalist Brian Krebs that the company is working with developers to remove the residential proxy option from webOS apps and will suspend any app that fails to comply.

What did the researchers find?

Spur scanned 6,038 apps across the LG and Samsung smart TV stores. Of those, 2,058 contained proxy software development kits (SDKs), with 42% of LG webOS apps and 26.5% of Samsung Tizen apps flagged as affected, according to a report relayed by Krebs on Security.

The apps involved often look innocuous: a fish tank screensaver, a clock, solitaire, or a simple game. Under the hood, the app runs proxy code that sells the user’s residential IP address and bandwidth to outside buyers.

How does a smart TV app become someone else’s proxy?

Residential proxy services let paying customers route their traffic through real home internet connections, making the traffic look like it originates from an ordinary household. Legitimate uses cited by providers include ad verification, SEO monitoring, market research, and data collection. Responsible operators say they require user permission and apply safeguards.

Spur’s report warns that consent flows in these apps are often opaque. Users typically see a generic prompt with only “Agree” or “Dismiss” buttons, and the language describes the trade in abstract terms: the app will use the IP address and free resources to “download public web data from the internet.” In one example, users were pushed to choose between a “Pac-Man” game with ads or an ad-free version that allowed the app to use the TV’s connection for web indexing.

Spur researchers noted that “most people do not have a working mental model for what it means to sell access to their residential IP address,” and warned that a single agree click allows the app to keep monetizing the connection for as long as it stays installed. The owner of the TV has no visibility into who is using the connection or for what, yet the household IP ends up in security logs around the web.

Why is this a security problem?

A residential IP is appealing to anyone who wants to hide where their traffic really comes from. Cybercrime groups have used similar networks to obscure phishing, fraud, and account takeover attempts. Earlier in 2026, Google and the FBI disrupted a residential proxy botnet called NetNut that had hijacked more than 2 million consumer devices, including smart TVs and streaming boxes, for covert cybercrime and espionage. A separate operation, IPIDEA, was taken down in the same period.

The Spur report highlights a deeper risk. “If the proxy provider decides to allow requests to private or local addresses, or if their filtering fails, that TV becomes a foothold for reaching things that were never meant to be exposed to the internet: router admin panels, NAS devices, printers, cameras, developer machines, and other apps listening on local ports,” the researchers wrote.

Smart TVs make attractive hosts because they stay powered on around the clock, don’t have battery drain concerns, and don’t trigger obvious cellular or data-bill spikes for the owner.

What is LG doing about it?

According to Krebs on Security, LG’s Senior Vice President John Taylor said: “LG Electronics is working with developers to remove the residential proxy option from their apps on the webOS platform. If this option is not removed, these apps will be suspended.”

Cybernews reviewed LG’s developer documentation and did not find any updates or mentions of residential proxies. The existing privacy guideline still instructs developers to follow “Privacy by Design” and “Secure by Design” approaches, and to “ensure that the app requests only the least privilege necessary for its operation.”

Amazon and Roku have already banned proxy SDKs from their app stores. Researchers have called on LG and Samsung to follow suit. Samsung had not announced a comparable enforcement step at the time of the report.

Which SDKs are driving the problem?

Spur’s analysis found that a small number of vendors supply most of the proxy SDKs. Bright SDK, from Bright Data, was flagged in the largest number of apps, 367 in total. In many cases the affected app is essentially a wrapper: shovelware games, screensavers, clocks, or other low-effort utilities built around a monetization SDK.

Bright Data defended the model, telling Cybernews that “Bright Data built this framework for consented networks that are intentionally discoverable and therefore accountable. Our practices are scrutinized by independent auditors and security companies.” The company argues that user consent is what separates a legitimate residential proxy network from a criminal one.

What should smart TV owners do?

Until app stores fully remove proxy-enabled software, viewers can take a few practical steps. Review installed apps and remove any that you don’t recognize or no longer use. Pay close attention to permission prompts, especially ones that mention “web indexing,” “free resources,” or sharing your internet connection. Check your router’s connected-device list periodically to spot unfamiliar hardware. Consider keeping smart TVs on a guest or isolated network if your router supports it, so a compromised device can’t reach laptops, NAS boxes, or other household gear.

FAQ

What percentage of LG smart TV apps contained proxy SDKs?

Security researchers at Spur found that 42% of LG webOS apps in their scan contained residential proxy SDKs. Out of 6,038 LG and Samsung apps scanned, 2,058 were flagged, with Samsung Tizen apps affected 26.5% of the time.

What did LG say it would do about proxy-enabled apps?

According to Krebs on Security, LG’s Senior Vice President John Taylor said the company is working with developers to remove the residential proxy option from webOS apps and will suspend any app that does not comply.

Which SDK was found in the most proxy-enabled smart TV apps?

Spur’s research identified Bright SDK, from Bright Data, as the most frequently flagged SDK, appearing in 367 proxy-flagged apps. Bright Data said its network is built around user consent and independent audits.