Samsung Mandates Platform-Wide Ban on Proxy SDKs Following Smart TV Security Exposure

Samsung is overhauling security rules across its smart TV app ecosystem following disclosures that third-party developers integrated traffic-rerouting code into consumer software downloads.

The policy overhaul comes after cybersecurity research firm Mnemonic identified vulnerabilities in several applications hosted on the Samsung app marketplace. Investigators discovered that certain programs contained embedded residential proxy SDKs, which converted connected televisions into exit nodes for external internet traffic without explicit user awareness.

Among the affected software identified by Mnemonic was a licensed Pac-Man game that Samsung had previously highlighted within the Editor’s Choice section of its app store. Once installed, the underlying software development kits (SDKs) could remain dormant until triggered remotely, allowing third parties to channel web requests through a household’s home internet connection and masking outside activity under the owner’s IP address.

In response to the security findings, Samsung confirmed it is removing non-compliant software and establishing strict platform-wide developer policies that explicitly forbid residential proxy SDKs. The company stated that any application found routing external web traffic through user connections will face immediate removal from its platform.

The issue reflects a broader operational risk for hardware manufacturers as smart home ecosystems expand. Competitor LG took similar corrective action last month after discovering comparable traffic-proxying mechanics on its own television operating system, as documented by cybersecurity outlet KrebsOnSecurity. Similar residential proxy networks have historically leveraged free VPN services and desktop utilities to route traffic through consumer bandwidth.