Overview
- Security firm Mnemonic reported that several Samsung TV apps contained residential proxy code that can route outsiders’ web traffic through a user’s home internet connection.
- Researchers found a popular Pac‑Man app used Bright Data’s resproxy SDK that stays dormant until a user accepts an in‑app consent prompt and then runs in the background.
- Samsung has restricted new app registrations with proxy functionality and said it will remove existing apps that contain residential proxy components from its store.
- Mnemonic’s network analysis showed resproxy traffic was being used for large‑scale web scraping and to collect data for AI training, and researchers warned a simple server change could activate dormant code across many devices.
- The problem reflects a platform governance gap because many smart TV apps are thin shells that load remote content after review, and LG has taken similar steps after prior reporting found widespread resproxy use in its app store.