Hacker claims Samsung TV listens to home sounds

A hacker named log4j, who shared findings on X in late October 2026, claims that a 2025 Samsung television listens to and sorts sounds in the home. The claim follows reports that a TV owner noticed highly targeted advertisements, which seemed to reflect conversations in their household.

Owner noticed targeted ads

The owner of the television became suspicious when the ads displayed on the screen were extremely specific to topics discussed in their home. This prompted an investigation into whether the TV was listening to their conversations.

Hacker accessed internal logs

The hacker claims to have taken control of the TV’s system and examined what the device sent outward. According to the findings, the TV’s internal logs would classify sounds in the room, including tracking specific noises like a dog barking or a baby crying.

System uses encrypted code

Samsung’s home system, Tizen, uses strong encryption to protect its code. The hacker claims to have exploited unknown vulnerabilities in the system to gain administrator rights, which would allow access to these internal logs.

TV listens even without a microphone

The listening function poses a challenge for models without an integrated microphone. In such cases, the TV would detect other devices connected to it, such as a soundbar or speaker, to continue listening to the environment.