Android Ransomware is now showing on your Smart TV!

As we have predicted for a while now and been helping to raise awareness on IoT Security and Smart Homes, we have just witnessed first of these attacks on Christmas days on Smart TVs.

The ransomware apparently hidden in a downloadable app on the SmartTV the family downloaded on Christmas Day. No one is certain which app the family has downloaded or they used an official app store or not. However, the infected TV is a late model LG that running Google TV.

Bleeping Computer, has reported that the SmartTV was infected by the FLocker ransomware AKA Frantic Locker / Dogspectus. It is variant to the Cyber.Police ransomware family. Since 2015 when discovered by Trend Micro more 7000 variants of the ransomware has been identified. Original version of the ransomware demanded iTunes gift cards for exchange of unlocking the devices.

This version of the ransomware is demanding $500 ransom to unlock the family’s TV.

We highly urge all users to practice complete vigilance when downloading app either on Smart TVs or mobile devices to make sure the app is verified by the platform offering it. Cyber criminals are reverting to legacy methods by fooling users into downloading their own version of an app that has an infection built in instead of the authentic app the users intending to download. As we had seen this previously with online gaming. Consumers must only download apps from verified platforms such as Apples’ App Store or Google Play to insure the authenticity of the app and the app's developer.

It is highly suspected that the ransomware is being sold on the Dark Web. IT SEC Threat Management Division is actively working on identifying the source of such infections to prevent future exploits.