If you own an LG Smart TV, you need to update your device's software immediately. Security research firm Bitdefender recently discovered vulnerabilities in LG webOS that open the door for hackers to break into your TV.
That's a problem in itself, but the potentially worse consequence is that access to your smart TV could lead to access to a lot of other sensitive personal data, from your email account to banking information, as well as looping your device into a botnet.
The following models are at risk:
LG43UM7000PLA (webOS 4.9.7 - 5.30.40)
OLED55CXPUA (webOS 5.5.0 - 04.50.51)
OLED48C1PUB (webOS 6.3.3-442 (kisscurl-kinglake) - 03.36.50)
OLED55A23LA (webOS 7.3.1-43 (mullet-mebin) - 03.33.85)
Of the nearly 92,000 affected devices, fewer than 7,000 are owned by U.S. users, most of which are located in South Korea as well as Hong Kong, Sweden and Finland. But no matter where your LG TV is located, you should check to make sure this vulnerability has been patched. (LG released the patch on March 22.)
How to update your LG TV
Whether you think your TV is affected or not, you should make sure it is updated to the latest version of the LG software. Go to Settings > All Settings > Support and select Software Update. Select Check for updates > Download and install. After downloading, power off your device for 10 seconds, then turn it back on to complete the installation. Note that if your TV is already running the latest version, you will not see the Download and Install option.
You can also enable automatic updates through the Software Update menu. Most LG devices will automatically download new software, but it's a good idea to check and turn this setting on so you don't miss any important patches.
