A reverse engineer who goes by log4j says they rooted a 2025 Samsung TV running Tizen OS after noticing unusually specific ads, and found what they describe as extensive data collection built into the software for advertising purposes.
According to posts log4j shared on X starting October 21, the TV's firmware was AES-encrypted with no available keys, so they used hardware-level techniques (UART and JTAG access) to get a root shell and look inside. What they found, they say, included packet-level telemetry, audio categorization, periodic screenshots, and a cross-device advertising identifier called AID used to link activity across a household's devices.
Log4j also says they located a region-specific convolutional neural network, a type of AI model commonly used for pattern recognition, running on the TV to track behavior such as which videos get watched, which ads get skipped, and how far into a video someone gets before stopping. They theorize this background processing, layered with computer vision and ad-tracking models, is partly why Samsung TVs can feel sluggish even without new apps installed.
The researcher also claims that on TVs without a built-in microphone, the software can reach out to connected devices that do have one, such as a soundbar or paired Bluetooth accessory, to capture audio. Hugging Face engineer ngxson said they tried to verify this microphone behavior on their own rooted Tizen set using a Flipper Zero and observed the microphone open for about five seconds before closing, with no further activity detected over several hours. Ngxson noted their unit had already been modified with several settings disabled, so a stock TV might not behave the same way.
Separately, log4j says OpenAI banned their account for "cyber abuse" after they used the company's tools during the reverse-engineering work. Log4j disputes the characterization, saying the tools were only used for local analysis of the TV's own firmware rather than to exploit or attack anything, and suspects an automated classifier flagged the activity rather than a human reviewer.
None of this has been confirmed by Samsung, and the claims so far rest on one researcher's own testing plus a partial, independently attempted replication of a single behavior. Samsung is not the only smart TV maker to face scrutiny over data practices. LG has faced similar accusations in the past, and plenty of smart TV owners already suspect background telemetry, not just bloatware, when their sets slow down over time.
Log4j says they're preparing a fuller technical write-up, including steps for other owners who want to check what their own TVs are doing. Until that lands, and until Samsung responds, the specifics remain one researcher's findings rather than an established pattern across every 2025 Tizen set.
HTFiled by The Home Tech Desk
TVs, home appliances and the smart home: refrigerators, washing machines, air conditioners, purifiers, robot vacuums, the sets on the wall and the platforms that connect them. Launches, prices in the US and India, and what changed.
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