"Cyberstalkers Can Hack Into HDMI Ports – FIU Researchers Are Studying a Way to Detect These Attacks"
Researchers at Florida International University's (FIU) Cyber-Physical Systems Security Lab (CSL) are studying how to protect individuals and businesses from High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) attacks. There is a list of commands that HDMI-enabled devices can perform commands with any HDMI connection. For example, an older TV may have a short list of commands such as turning on and off. However, a newer or Wi-Fi-connected smart TV could have a long list of potential commands such as connecting to the internet, sharing information with other devices, and more, which could leave them vulnerable to hacks. With access to an unsecured HDMI-enabled device, a hacker could inject malicious commands to cause the device to carry out unintended actions, like shutting down, potentially posing dangers to individuals and businesses. The CSL team designed a patented solution called HDMI-Watch to track such hacks in real-time. The HDMI-Watch system uses advanced Machine Learning (ML) algorithms to learn about the HDMI commands typically received and transmitted by a device so that the abnormal ones can be detected. Once an abnormal command is detected, the system alerts the user. This article further discusses HDMI applications, how unsecured HDMI-enabled devices can be abused by hackers, and the HDMI-Watch solution designed by FIU researchers to detect HDMI hacks.