Key point: Backdoors in Smart-TV apps enabled Bright Data to compromise millions of devices as uncontrolled proxies for web scraping.
Israeli company Bright Data embedded backdoors in applications for Smart-TV devices to abuse millions of devices as proxies for web scraping. Manufacturers such as Roku, Fire TV, and Google TV were affected.
Bright Data deliberately integrated backdoors in apps on streaming platforms that allowed attackers to turn Smart-TV devices into botnets without the consent of device owners. These devices were then used as open proxies for automated web scraping activities.
For CISOs, this attack method is relevant as it reveals a new attack surface: consumer devices in enterprise and private networks can become threat vectors without being noticed. Backdoor installation occurred unnoticed through seemingly legitimate app updates on widely used platforms (Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Google TV), bypassing standard security measures.
For protection, strengthened control of network access is necessary: segmentation of IoT and consumer devices, monitoring of outbound connections for suspicious proxy activities, and critical review of app approval processes at major platforms.
Source: borncity.com · Published June 6, 2026
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