Was My Samsung TV Hacked?: How To Tell If Your Smart TV Was Compromised By CIA Weeping Angel Hack

Tuesday brought revelations about the hacking capabilities of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency thanks to a massive collection of reportedly leaked documents shared by WikiLeaks.

Included in that trove of files were the CIA’s tools to hack smartphones and mobile devices and its efforts to compromise other connected devices like smart televisions. The documents reveals in detail the agency’s ability to compromise internet-enabled TVs manufactured by Samsung.

The hack—codenamed Weeping Angel in reference to a character in Doctor Who —was developed by the CIA in partnership with the United Kingdom's MI5. It enables operatives to spy through the TV to listen to—and in some cases, see—what people on the other side of the screen are doing.

How Does Weeping Angel Work?

The agency’s hack creates what documents disclosed by WikiLeaks calls a “Fake Off” mode. Effectively, it maintains the functionality of the TV while making it appear as though it is turned off. A person spying through the TV can capture audio and possibly video through the built-in functions of the TV.

What TVs Can Be Affected?

The Weeping Angel hack only works on Samsung TVs released in 2012 or 2013. From Samsung’s 2012 lineup, the UNES8000F, E8000GF plasma and UNES7550F models are at risk. From 2013, the UNF8000 series, F8500 plasma, UNF7500 series and UNF7000 series are vulnerable.

Applies only to Samsung televisions from 2012 and 2013 that feature outdated firmware versions 1111, 1112, and 1116.

How to Tell If Your TV Is Hacked

While the Weeping Angel hack is built to make it appear as if a television has been turned off, there is a telltale sign that it is still active. The screen of the TV will be off, and the LEDs on the front of the TV will change color and dim like it normally would, but if the TV has been compromised, a blue LED light on the back of the set will remain on.

If that light is still illuminated, the Fake Off mode has been activated and is keeping the TV on despite it appearing off.

How To Make Sure You Aren’t Vulnerable To Weeping Angel

While the CIA’s attack works on older Samsung TVs, it also counts on those sets have out of date firmware. If your Samsung TV is running firmware versions 1111, 1112 or 1116, it could be vulnerable.

To make sure you are up to date on your firmware, go to the main menu on your TV, select the Support menu, and select Software Update. This will allow you to determine your current firmware and update to a more recent one. More recent firmware includes an update that disables the installation method the CIA developed for Weeping Angel.

It’s worth noting that even if your TV is at risk of being hacked, it is unlikely that you have been. The CIA more than likely uses attacks like Weeping Angel to target specific individuals and not perform mass surveillance.