Google Photos Users Barred from Sharing to Android TV Due to Security Bug
- A Google Photos user discovered a bug specific to Android TV devices that allowed him to see profile photos of other users.
- The bug is specific to Android TV devices, and Google has temporarily disabled viewing photos on smart TVs using Google Photos.
- Google has not offered details on when we can expect the features to be available again for Android TV users.
Google has temporarily disabled Google Photos from being able to share media to Android TV devices. The feature will remain disabled until Google addresses a security issue that was recently discovered. Users will not be able to set Google Photos albums as screensavers or view photos temporarily.
The security bug in question allowed Google Photos users to view photos of other Google accounts on Android TV devices. Twitter user Prashanth spotted the bug first when he was trying to set up a screen saver on his Vu Android TV. Other users were able to replicate the issue on a number of Android TV devices which grabbed Google’s attention. It is unknown how widespread the bug is as Google has not revealed the specifics of the security bug.
When I access my Vu Android TV through the @Google Home app, and check the linked accounts, it basically lists what I imagine is every single person who owns this television. This is shocking incompetence. pic.twitter.com/5DGwrArsco
— prashanth (@wothadei) March 3, 2019
According to Android Police, the bug did not give access to all photos from users’ Google Photos accounts but the profile photos only along with account names. Regardless, it is a major security flaw that could be exploited, and it will be fixed soon, and Android TV users will have access to all features again. There is no official word on how long it will take for a fix to be deployed by Google.
Google revealed in an official statement that the company takes user privacy seriously and it is currently investigating security concerns surrounding the bug. Remote cast via Google Assistant and streaming photos and videos on Android TV devices will continue to be disabled indefinitely. Smart TV manufacturer Vu revealed that the vulnerability is not hardware specific and it is a bug in the Google Home app.
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