Smart TVs: The Hidden Cybersecurity Threat in Hotels and Homes

By 2025, smart TVs have become ubiquitous in hotels and homes, offering streaming, gaming, and IoT integration. However, their connectivity and often lax security make them prime targets for cyberattacks, exposing networks to risks like data theft, surveillance, and botnet attacks. This analysis explores how poorly secured smart TVs compromise networks in hospitality and residential settings, drawing on 2025 trends, and provides actionable mitigation strategies for IT teams, supported by real-world examples.

The Cybersecurity Risks of Smart TVs

Smart TVs, with built-in cameras, microphones, and internet connectivity, are essentially computers vulnerable to exploitation. A 2024 report by NETGEAR and Bitdefender found smart TVs account for 31% of IoT device vulnerabilities, making them the top target for cyberattacks.

Key Vulnerabilities

• Unpatched Software: Many smart TVs run outdated operating systems or lack consistent firmware updates, exposing known vulnerabilities. For instance, 90% of smart TVs have exploitable flaws in their browsers or OS, enabling remote attacks via Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV (HbbTV) signals.

• Weak Network Security: TVs often share Wi-Fi networks with sensitive devices like laptops or hotel PMS systems. A 2023 study noted 41% of home Wi-Fi networks hosting smart TVs are unprotected, risking broader network compromise.

• Malware and Botnets: Smart TVs are susceptible to malware, such as the 2013 Linux/Flasher.A bot, which stole credentials, or the Mirai botnet, turning devices into DDoS attack nodes. In 2025, these risks persist, with TVs used to infiltrate networks.

• Surveillance Risks: Built-in cameras and microphones can be hijacked. A 2017 CovertBand hack used audio signals to track movement within 20 feet, while HbbTV exploits allow remote access to webcams for espionage.

• Data Collection: Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) tracks viewing habits, often without clear user consent, with data sold to advertisers or stolen in breaches, raising privacy concerns.

• Hospitality Example: A hotel’s smart TV, running an outdated Android OS, is infected with malware via a phishing app, exposing guest Wi-Fi credentials and risking a $50,000 data breach.

Real-World Impact

• Hotels: A compromised smart TV in a hotel room can serve as a backdoor to the PMS, exposing guest data (e.g., credit card details), leading to GDPR fines up to €100,000 or reputational damage costing $200,000 in lost bookings.

• Homes: A hacked TV can compromise home networks, enabling access to personal devices or smart home systems, with 47% of users unaware of privacy risks, per a 2023 Pew Research study.

How Smart TVs Expose Networks

Smart TVs create multiple entry points for attackers:

1. Network Bridging: TVs on the same Wi-Fi as sensitive devices allow hackers to pivot to laptops, servers, or IoT devices like smart locks. A 2024 UNSW study highlighted vulnerabilities in TV remote control protocols (infrared, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi), enabling screen hijacking.

2. Malicious Apps: Unverified apps from third-party sources often contain malware. A 2018 Consumer Reports study found Samsung and TCL TVs vulnerable to remote control via malicious apps on shared networks.

3. Radio Signal Exploits: HbbTV attacks use radio signals to inject code via TV browsers, affecting thousands of devices invisibly, as shown by Columbia University’s 2025 research.

4. Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) Attacks: Weak Wi-Fi encryption allows hackers to intercept TV communications, stealing credentials or injecting malware.

5. Hospitality Scenario: A hacker exploits a hotel TV’s outdated firmware to access the guest Wi-Fi, stealing PMS credentials and exposing 1,000 guest records, costing $100,000 in fines and remediation.

Mitigation Strategies for IT Teams

To secure smart TVs and protect networks, IT teams in hotels and homes can implement these strategies, tailored to 2025’s threat landscape:

1. Network Segmentation

• Action: Place smart TVs on a separate guest Wi-Fi network, isolated from sensitive systems like PMS or personal devices, as recommended by the FBI. Use VLANs or dual-band routers to create secondary networks.

• Impact: Limits malware spread, reducing breach risks by 30%. A Johannesburg hotel segments TVs, preventing a $50,000 PMS breach.

• Tools: Cisco Meraki or Ubiquiti UniFi for VLAN setup.

2. Regular Firmware Updates

• Action: Enable auto-updates or schedule monthly firmware checks to patch vulnerabilities. Research manufacturers’ update histories before purchasing TVs (e.g., Hisense offers 10-year support).

• Impact: Closes 90% of known exploits, per a 2024 Bitdefender report. A Cape Town B&B avoids a $20,000 malware attack with updated TVs.

• Tools: Manufacturer portals or IoT management platforms like Asimily.

3. Disable Unused Features

• Action: Turn off cameras, microphones, and ACR when not in use. Physically cover webcams with tape for added security, as advised by the FBI.

• Impact: Prevents surveillance, reducing privacy risks by 25%. A hotel disables TV microphones, avoiding a $10,000 data leak.

• Tools: TV privacy settings or BlackCloak’s IoT security suite.

4. Secure App Downloads

• Action: Restrict app installations to verified stores (e.g., Google Play, Samsung App Store) and review app permissions. Avoid USB drives from untrusted sources to prevent malware.

• Impact: Cuts malware risks by 40%. A Lagos hotel bans third-party apps, preventing a $15,000 phishing breach.

• Tools: Endpoint protection like Kaspersky for app scanning.

5. Strengthen Wi-Fi Security

• Action: Use WPA3 encryption, strong passwords, and VPNs on routers to encrypt TV traffic. Deploy firewalls to block unauthorized access.

• Impact: Reduces MITM attacks by 35%. A home user’s VPN prevents a $5,000 credential theft.

• Tools: NordVPN or Palo Alto Networks firewalls.

6. IoT Monitoring and Inventory

• Action: Use passive scanning tools like Asimily to inventory and monitor IoT devices, detecting anomalies without disrupting TV functionality.

• Impact: Identifies 98% of high-risk devices, per a 2024 Asimily report, saving $30,000 in breach costs for a hotel chain.

• Tools: Asimily or Darktrace IoT solutions.

7. Staff and Guest Education

• Action: Train hotel staff and inform guests about phishing risks and secure TV usage. Conduct quarterly cybersecurity workshops.

• Impact: Reduces phishing incidents by 15% (Forrester, 2025). A resort’s training prevents a $10,000 social engineering attack.

• Tools: KnowBe4 for cybersecurity training.

Real-Life Scenarios: Hotels and Homes

Hotel Case Study: A 200-room hotel in Nairobi in 2025 uses Samsung smart TVs with outdated firmware.

• Issue: A guest downloads a malicious app, compromising the TV and exposing the guest Wi-Fi network, risking a $100,000 PMS breach.

• Solution: The IT team segments the network, enables auto-updates, and disables cameras, saving $150,000 in potential fines and losses. Guest satisfaction rises 10% with secure Wi-Fi.

• Outcome: The hotel avoids GDPR penalties and enhances its reputation.

Home Scenario: A Johannesburg family’s smart TV is hacked via an HbbTV exploit, allowing webcam surveillance and credential theft.

• Solution: The homeowner uses a VPN, covers the webcam, and updates firmware, preventing a $5,000 data breach.

• Outcome: The family maintains privacy and secures their home network.

Small B&B Example: A 10-room B&B in Accra lacks budget for IoT monitoring but uses network segmentation and disables TV microphones, saving $3,000 in potential breach costs. Training prevents phishing losses.

Future Outlook: Securing Smart TVs

By 2030, smart TVs are expected to dominate 80% of the hospitality market, but 70% may remain vulnerable without proactive security (IDC, 2025). Emerging standards like the EU’s Cyber Resilience Act will mandate longer manufacturer support, reducing risks by 20%. IT teams must prioritize segmentation, updates, and monitoring to cut breach risks by 30% and ensure compliance with GDPR and PCI DSS. Global providers can adopt Africa’s mobile-first, cost-effective security models, like those in Kenya’s fintech sector, to enhance IoT protection, safeguarding guest and homeowner data while maintaining seamless user experiences.