Popular Smart Doorbells and Home Cameras Have Serious Security Flaws

Federal cybersecurity officials have warned about serious security vulnerabilities in several popular smart home camera and doorbell products. The affected devices run on something called the Naxclow IoT Platform and include the Smart Doorbell X3, X Smart Home cameras, V720 cameras, and ix cam cameras. The security flaws could allow hackers to pretend to be your devices, intercept your video feeds, manipulate communications between your camera and phone, steal login credentials in large numbers, or gain unauthorized access to your home network.

If you own any of these camera or doorbell brands, your home security system may actually be making you less secure.

Hackers could potentially watch your camera feeds to see when you are home or away, listen to audio if your cameras have microphones, or steal the passwords you use to access the cameras. All versions of these products are affected according to the alert, which means there is no safe version you can switch to within these brands. Take action immediately if you own any of these devices:

1. Disconnect these cameras from your WiFi network until the manufacturers release security patches.
2. Change the passwords on any accounts associated with these cameras, and change passwords on other accounts if you reused the same password.
3. Check your other devices and accounts for suspicious activity, since your credentials may have been compromised.
4. Contact the manufacturer or check their website for security updates, and do not reconnect the devices until patches are available and installed.
5. Consider replacing these cameras with products from manufacturers that have better security track records. This incident highlights why security should be your top priority when choosing smart home devices, even above price or features. Before buying any internet connected camera, doorbell, or sensor, research the company's history with security updates. Look for devices that offer end to end encryption and two-factor authentication. Read recent customer reviews specifically mentioning security and privacy. Remember that a security camera that hackers can access does the opposite of its intended job. Sometimes the safest choice is a traditional, non-connected option or products from established companies with dedicated security teams.