Smart TVs Top Home IoT Threats in 2026 Report

Your smart TV may be the weakest link in your connected home. That is the headline finding of the 2026 IoT Security Landscape Report, published on October 28, 2026, by cybersecurity firm Bitdefender and networking vendor NETGEAR. Based on nine months of data from roughly 10.4 million protected home networks, the report paints a picture of homes that are more connected, and more exposed, than ever.

Between January and September 2026, Bitdefender’s sensors logged 5.4 billion security events and 6.2 billion vulnerability observations across those networks. The average household now has 24 connected devices, up from 22 a year earlier. Every one of those devices is a potential doorway, and attackers are knocking constantly.

Smart TVs, plugs, and storage lead the risk list

When the researchers broke down vulnerability observations by device type, three categories stood out. Smart TVs accounted for 22.7% of observations, smart plugs for 22.4%, and network-attached storage (NAS) devices for 22%. Together, the three categories represent 67.1% of all observed vulnerabilities — more than two-thirds of the total.

Smart TVs deserve special attention. The report recorded 270.3 million vulnerability observations tied to televisions alone, the highest count for any single category. The reason, the researchers say, is that a TV is where four different attack opportunities converge: the same device can be a direct target, a proxy that relays someone else’s traffic, a sensor that gathers information, or a foothold into the wider home network.

The pattern marks a shift from last year. In the 2025 edition of the report, streaming devices led the list at 25.9%, followed by smart TVs at 21.3%. The new ranking suggests that long-lived devices that are rarely replaced — and often stay online long after their update and support windows end — now carry the greatest vulnerability burden.

Reconnaissance dominates attack activity

Most of what the sensors saw was not a break-in, but the preparation for one. Reconnaissance made up 90.1% of detected attack activity: automated scans probing networks and devices for weaknesses, often as a first step toward larger attacks or botnet recruitment.

The scale is striking. Bitdefender recorded 4.85 billion automated port scans over the nine-month window — about 19.2 million per day, or roughly two attempts per home per day. Password guessing was the next most common technique, with 466.6 million attempts recorded.

“The increase in connected devices has turned homes into complex digital ecosystems, and every addition gives attackers another doorway in,” said Ciprian Istrate, senior vice president of operations at Bitdefender Consumer Solutions Group. “Cybercriminals are using AI to speed attacks on newly discovered vulnerabilities from days to a matter of hours, putting families at far greater risk.”

The patching problem: almost every flaw is already known

Perhaps the most actionable finding is also the most frustrating. Nearly all observed device vulnerabilities — 99.97% — were publicly known flaws cataloged as Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs). Weak passwords and plaintext authentication together made up a fraction of one percent of observations.

In other words, the biggest risk to the connected home is not exotic zero-day exploits. It is ordinary, documented flaws in devices that have not been patched, or that no longer receive patches at all. The report’s message is blunt: timely patching and better device management matter more than any new security gadget.

That finding also reframes who is at risk. As enterprises have improved their defenses, the report notes, cybercriminals are turning to connected home devices, which are “always on, reliable, and rarely monitored” — an ideal foothold that can also serve as a launching pad for attacks against businesses, including the employers of the people who live in those homes.

What is actually on home networks

The report also mapped the makeup of the modern connected home. Mobile phones account for 20.4% of devices identified on home networks, followed by TVs at 10.6%, computers at 10.0%, network equipment at 6.2%, and streaming devices at 5.4% — down from 7.3% in 2025. Tablets (4.8%) and IP cameras (4.1%) round out the list.

For smart home owners, the takeaway is that the “smart home” is only part of the attack surface. Phones, computers, and routers share the same network as plugs, cameras, and TVs, and a weakness in one corner can expose the rest.

The privacy angle: TVs as sensors

Beyond vulnerabilities, the report raises privacy questions around smart TVs. Citing third-party investigations, it notes claims that some TVs may collect voice recordings, track viewing behavior, monitor other devices on the home network, and gather location data — with some collection potentially continuing even when a TV appears switched off. The report’s authors note that these privacy claims draw on cited third-party investigations rather than findings they independently verified.

The report also flags free smart TV applications that may use a household’s internet connection to route third-party traffic, including for activities such as AI data scraping, potentially without consumers fully understanding the permissions they granted.

What smart home owners should do

The report’s findings translate into a short, practical checklist:

• Patch promptly. Since 99.97% of observed vulnerabilities are publicly known, keeping firmware up to date closes the most common attack path. Check for updates on TVs, plugs, cameras, and NAS devices, not just phones and computers.
• Retire unsupported devices. A device that no longer receives security updates will only get riskier. Long-lived gear that stays online past its support window is exactly what the report flags as most exposed.
• Change default passwords. Automated password guessing remains one of the top attack techniques, and default credentials are the first thing attackers try.
• Protect the router. Router-level security stops scans and attacks before they reach individual devices. NETGEAR’s own write-up of the report points to its Armor service, which blocks attempts at the router level, but any reputable router security feature serves the same purpose.
• Review TV app permissions. Check what data your TV and its apps collect, and remove apps you do not use — especially free ones that may route third-party traffic through your connection.

The connected home is not getting smaller. With the average household now at 24 devices and counting, the 2026 report’s core message is that security can no longer be an afterthought bolted onto a smart home — it has to be part of how the home is run, from the router outward.