Leo S.
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Verified by
Adam B.
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Last updated:
July 19, 2024
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(0)
Since its initial release in 2002 when it was still called Xbox Media Player (later evolving into Xbox Media Center, or XBMC), what is nowadays known as Kodi has quickly became one of the most popular media players in the world. The software itself comes free of any content, but it’s the fact that it allows users to install third party plugins that has made it such a big success, since people can watch movies and TV series without any effort.
Among its vast range of customizable features is one designed to provide remote access, which is great for users wanting to access their corresponding software from another device, even in different parts of the world. But there’s a downside to this, as it was discovered that such function can be used by others to spy on users’ add-ons, change their settings and even access their content. The good news is that everything can be fixed with a simple password change.
Once again it seems it’s time to stress the importance of setting strong, unique passwords for every website and online service, since this is yet another perfect example of limited interest people have for such an important chore. The center of the issue with Kodi here is the Chorus 2 interface, which was introduced in 2016 and permits not only authorized but also unauthorized users to remotely access the software, essentially acting as a web page.
Anyone that knows another user’s IP address can discover their Kodi insights simply by typing “:8080” to the end of it, though they do also need to know the passwords, too. But this is not hard, since the streaming service attributes ‘Kodi’ as the default credential, and most people leave this password completely untouched.
From here on, messing with someone’s service is just a single step. Add-ons are visible and usable on another person’s system thanks to the web interface design of Chorus 2, just like any other content on the library. Custom settings are editable as well, which makes anyone able to alter such trivial things like enabling or disabling notifications or keyboard input, but even as much as changing usernames and file folders, too.
The best solution to prevent this unexpected privacy invasion would be to completely disable the remote access tool, especially if you don’t use it. But for those that like to make use of this feature – in fact, it is important for everyone for that matter – changing passwords is vital. A password manager is especially useful for this, not only because it ensures the creation of strong and unique credentials for any site and service you like, but also stores them with secure measures that can only be opened by you.
In addition, don’t forget the importance of using a VPN for Kodi. While the service itself is not illegal, many of the add-ons by third parties are streaming pirated content. As such, downloading them without protection could have some serious legal implications, and that’s precisely where a VPN comes in, masking your real IP address and keeping your connections invisible to anyone that might be snooping on it. VPNs even work at unblocking restricted content from other countries, ensuring that your Kodi experience is the best it can be.
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