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The owner of an LG washing machine under the nickname Johnie asked Twitter why his “ A smart home device downloads an average of 3.66 GB of data per day. Concerned about the internet addiction of the washing machine, Johnie forced the device to reboot and blocked it using his router interface.
WTF! Why is my LG Washing Machine using 3.6GB of data/day? pic.twitter.com/xQqQicTqxI
— Johnie (@Johnie) January 9, 2024
Social media users have eagerly engaged in detective work, sniffing out why an LG washing machine might be data hungry, reports Tom’s Hardware.
Device was downloading DLC or was hacked?
An LG washing machine owner saw the humor in his predicament and joked that the device could use Wi-Fi for DLC (downloadable wash cycles). He wasn't exactly kidding: The machine actually loads settings for different types of clothing. However, the lion's share of the transmitted data was downloaded.
Continuing the topic, we note that Johnny also thought about the possibility that someone could use his washing machine to mine cryptocurrencies. “I’d love to rent our LPU (Laundry Processing Unit) by the hour,” he joked. Once again there was a glimmer of possibility that there might be truth behind this joke. Another social media user drew attention to the story of hackers who took possession of LG SmartThinQ smart devices (HomeHack). A similar modern hack could use a washing machine's computer resources as part of a botnet. Taking control of an LG washing machine as part of a large botnet for cryptocurrency mining or malicious network purposes is not that difficult. A large number of relatively low-power devices can be very powerful together.
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One of the most innocent theories regarding large data loading suggested that laundry data was loaded into LG so that it could improve its LLM (Large Laundry Model, similar to the large language model). The company was trying to do this to prepare for the launch of its latest “AI washer-dryer combo” at CES, Johnny joked.
Problem with Asus router?
Another relatively harmless reason for the likely large volume of downloads may be an error in the firmware of the Asus router. In a follow-up post a day after his first tweet, Johnny noted that the ASUS router tool was “inaccurate” in using Apple iMessage data (but not as much). Other users of LG smart washing machines showed the use of device data through the interfaces of their routers. It turns out that these devices typically use less than 1 MB per day.
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Real danger of hacking of connected devices
Although Johnny's tweets were relatively benign, hacking sentient connected devices could have serious consequences. What could happen if attackers take over, for example, medical or industrial Internet devices?
An example is the story of network-connected Bosch impact wrenches, which are used in factories around the world and have many vulnerabilities. The researchers emphasized that cordless industrial impact wrenches could be affected by exploits or malware, which could lead to widespread outages of impact wrenches. They can even be secretly adjusted to endanger users by applying incorrect torque.
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