In-room "OnCommand" out of control

[fly_up_front]

Here's one for you.

I'm at the EWR Four Points for a week. Early in the week I notice some odd things on TV ~ one day I see someone else's account summary, another time I see a recent movie (The Aviator) showing which seems odd as it's so recent. I don't think anything about it and didn't have any time for TV. Later in the week I have a little more time and so when I happen to see another account summary, I linger there for a second.

Well it turns out that there's some glitch in the OnCommand system here so that on at least two of the channels in this room I can see the OnCommand activity of other rooms. If they buy a movie (yes, any movie) I can watch it as well. If I leave the TV on those channels you can see people check out in the morning and what they paid.

Kind of funny to be watching someone scroll through the on-screen and hoping they'll pick something you haven't seen.

[MJRBIM]

There was a big article on this in WIRED -

http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,68370,00.html

Looks like the in-room systems are open to all kinds of abuse.