How to prevent your neighbor from hacking your Chromecast

by Luigi Nori Date: 26-10-2020 google chromecast smarttv android androidtv

Google Chromecast was born as a device to add Smart TV features to those that were not yet Smart TV, and with WiFi connectivity as one of the key features according to this approach. Now it has evolved and is more complete, and serves equally well on Smart TVs, but maintains WiFi connectivity as one of its essential features. And it is practical, as well as simple, but it is also a 'window' to possible attacks on the local network. But how can we prevent them from taking control of our Google Chromecast?

The simplest possible attack on a Google Chromecast is executed on the same WiFi network to which the device is connected, and simply by making use of the device's functions, which are not authorized. And if you have it connected to your home, with your private WiFi network, then this shouldn't happen. The problem comes when, for example, we are using a hotel's WiFi network or simply sharing a WiFi network in any area. If we do, any device connected to it is able to interact with the Mountain View company's device, even if the owner does not want it to, because Google does not enable any type of configuration to restrict the use of the device.

It is possible to isolate devices even if we use a shared WiFi network, whether it is public or open, so you can prevent anyone from using your Google Chromecast, even if they have their cell phone connected to the same WiFi network
To avoid having our Chromecast hijacked on shared networks, one of the best possibilities we have at our disposal is to take advantage of a computer to create a wireless access point secondary to the WiFi network to which it is connected, and in turn the Google Chromecast device and others (such as the cell phone or tablet with which we send content to the Chromecast). And to do this we have apps like Connectify Hotspot, probably one of the simplest programs that allow us this type of configuration within a local network. All we have to do is connect the computer to the network, and with this program create a secondary access point on which we will then connect both in Google Chromecast and the rest of our mobile devices.

What do we get with this? That the computer acts as a 'link' between the shared network, a public or open WiFi, and the rest of our devices. In this way, the configuration of the local network would be 'insecure' until the connection with the computer. And yet, by creating an access point with a secondary WiFi network, we will have an isolated network that encrypts the connection between the computer and our devices, and also prevents unauthorized access to our devices, including Google Chromecast. Ideally, of course, Google would allow you to restrict the control of your Chromecast devices despite the fact that you share a WiFi network, but this alternative solution complies with this.

Share it. Thank you!

 
by Luigi Nori Date: 26-10-2020 google chromecast smarttv android androidtv hits : 7783  
 
Luigi Nori

Luigi Nori

He has been working on the Internet since 1994 (practically a mummy), specializing in Web technologies makes his customers happy by juggling large scale and high availability applications, php and js frameworks, web design, data exchange, security, e-commerce, database and server administration, ethical hacking. He happily lives with @salvietta150x40, in his (little) free time he tries to tame a little wild dwarf with a passion for stars.

 
 
 

Related Posts

Google Play Games on PC: Transforming Your Gaming Experience

Do you want to play your favorite Android games directly on your computer? If your answer is yes, you've come to the right place! In today's guide, I will explain…

Android Hidden Codes: unveiling custom dialer codes and their functionality

In the world of Android smartphones, there exist numerous hidden codes that can unlock a treasure trove of functionalities and features. These codes, known as custom dialer codes, provide access…

Are you being floCed by Google?

No panic! Don't be alarmed, because it may sound worse than it is. But since Google doesn't seem to have any intention of communicating it properly, it's up to the…

Advanced Android tutorial: discover all your phone's secrets

It is highly probable that you are not taking advantage of even half of the potential that your Android device has to offer. These small pocket computers, which we call…

How to set up your Android phone: learn how to get your new phone up and running

If you've just bought a great new Android phone, you'll want to start using it as soon as possible. You'll see that it's not hard to get the initial set-up and…

Parental controls on Android: how to make mobiles and tablets child-friendly

Despite all the good things about them, mobile devices can expose your children to content that they're better off not seeing. The good news is that your Android phone or…

Interesting and Helpful Google Search Features You’ll Want to Start Using

Google – THE search engine for many internet users. It has been with us since its launch back in 1998 and thanks to its simplicity of use and genius algorithms,…

Google Maps updates and now shows gas prices at gas stations

Any help, no matter how small, that can make our daily life easier is welcome; for example, Google Maps has allowed us to move from one corner to another is…

Cumulative Layout Shift, what is and How to optimize CLS

Cumulative Layout Shift, one of the new Core Web Vitals metrics,  is the first metric that focuses on user experience beyond performance. Unexpected movement of web page content is a major…

Read comics online: best websites and apps to download and read digital comics

Comic book lovers (like us), today we're going to give you a special tribute: a small collection of websites and applications to download and read digital comics, both on your…

The best free tools for linkbuilding

Linkbuilding is one of the main factors in improving the SEO positioning of a page. Having a profile of inbound links from pages with great authority can mean the difference…

SEO: How to find and remove artificial links

At Ma-no we are aware of the importance of a good linkbuilding strategy in order to achieve success with a website. Links are key to placing a website among the top…