ROKU Ultra Streaming TV Box Has Been Hacked!

[starvinmarvin]

I'm posting this as a Buyer Beware warning. Not certain it should be posted here, but wanted to let everyone know what's going on.

ROKU Ultra has been HACKED! Purchasers of a brand new ROKU Ultra are encountering a "Locked" screen during initial setup out of the box. The message on the screen says to call the phone number displayed on the TV screen to complete the setup. When you call, the "agent" you speak with tells you that you must pay $99 or $149 (for 1 or 2 years service) to unlock the ROKU Ultra and complete the setup. This is a total scam. Either ROKU's servers have been hacked or the chip itself inside your new ROKU Ultra box has been hacked, take your pick.

Real ROKU customer service reps admit (when you find and call their real phone number) that they are swamped with calls from angry customers over this exact problem. They also state that they do NOT charge any fees to activate a ROKU device.

I was present last weekend when a friend of mine bought a brand new sealed-in-the-box ROKU Ultra streaming device from a Target store. We took it to his house and he proceeded to unbox it and connect it to his TV via HDMI cable. When he powered it on and began following the on-screen setup steps he encountered the big error message, called the number shown, and was greeted by an agent or rep who insisted my friend pay the "fee" to use the new ROKU.

 

[A Guy]

Text copied from here

Topic: ROKU Ultra Streaming TV Boxes Have Been Hacked @ AskWoody

Actual posts on Roku forum

Solved: Activation scam - Roku Community

Roku

A Guy

 

[starvinmarvin]

Text copied from here

Topic: ROKU Ultra Streaming TV Boxes Have Been Hacked @ AskWoody

Actual posts on Roku forum

Solved: Activation scam - Roku Community

Roku

A Guy

Thanks for your reply. I clicked on the link you provided. Three "solutions" are highlighted. The "solutions" note that it's a scam by 3rd parties, that Roku doesn't charge an activation fee, and that Roku would like more details so they can look into it.

There's NOTHING about the true source of the error message/malware/scam. I must repeat that, lacking any further data, the most logical explanation is either that Roku's servers have been hacked or the computer chip inside the Roku devices have been hacked.

 

[A Guy]

I suspect it isn't Roku, or the devices, it's a DNS hack of some sort. These reports go back 2 years, I sincerely doubt Roku has been hacked since then. If Roku was hacked, it would be in the news. I'm not saying people are not getting redirected to a pop up advising to call a number, this can/has happened with other IOT devices, even smart TVs. It's more about the internet connection than the manufacturers/devices.

A Guy

 

[starvinmarvin]

Interesting observation, yet it seems unlikely. The TV and Roku box use the friend's home wi-fi which is the newest Xfinity gateway with a long, strong passphrase. Avast Premium anti-virus reports the wi-fi network as secure, no problems. His network monitoring app (Netshark maybe, not sure?) lists and logs all connected devices going back several months, no unknown or unidentified devices. His DNS server(s) is the Comcast/Xfinity verified one. Comcast says they have no reported or discovered hacks or intrusions there (they wouldn't lie, would they?). His phone checks out clean as well. There are no other new devices connected. We could argue this forever, but it's pointless. He's never had a problem with any other equipment. I help check his system periodically. Suddenly, when he connects a brand new Roku box and begins setup/activation there's a big error message that it failed, that it's locked and he must call this number on the screen, etc. So, there's two possibilities: 1. It's ROKU or 2. It's ROKU. Take your pick ....

 

[A Guy]

OK, I'll not argue...I have no reason to defend Roku. Of course there could be a hack. Sure enough people saying the number was on the screen, and all the Roku people do is repeat they do not charge to activate and to contact them with info

A Guy