A recent computer attack on a Windows PC belonging to Montreal-based musician and audio designer Priscilla Snow has been linked to her Hisense TV. Snow had been experiencing unusual issues with her computer for the past few years, including disappearing settings, keyboards, remote desktops, and taskbars.
After extensive troubleshooting, Snow discovered that the problem was caused by her Hisense TV generating random UUIDs for UPNP network discovery every few minutes. These alternate Hisense devices were being added to Windows’ Device Association Framework (DAF), causing havoc with her Task Manager, Bluetooth, and Settings apps.
To resolve the issue, Snow had to delete hundreds of keys from the registry, disable the “Set up network connected devices automatically” setting on her Windows network, and most importantly, avoid purchasing the same Hisense TV model in the future. Luckily, her computer returned to normal functioning after applying these fixes.
Ars Technica reached out to Hisense for comment on the situation but has not yet received a response. This incident serves as a cautionary tale for those using Windows PCs in conjunction with certain Hisense TV models, highlighting the importance of ensuring network devices are compatible and properly configured to prevent potential cyber attacks.
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