Unsecured IP Cameras Accessible To Everyone

Orome1 writes "In the last couple of decades, we have become so accustomed to the idea that the public portion of our everyday life is watched and recorded — in stores, on the street, in institutions — that we often don't even notice the cameras anymore. Analog surveillance systems were difficult to hack into by people who lacked the adequate knowledge, but IP cameras — having their own IPs — can be quite easily physically located and their stream watched in real-time by anyone who has a modicum of computer knowledge and knows what to search for on Google."

Comments

Nice one

[Peach Rings]

Good find 2002.

Re:Nice one

[Solid StaTe_1]

from 2005... but whatever. it's old news

http://it.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=05/01/09/1411242

Re:Nice one

[PatPending]

Yeah, and then there is this one from 2007 (Thieves Hacking Security Cameras). By far, this is the most informative post of the lot--a comprehensive list of searches.

Re:Nice one

[goodmanj]

Here's the deal though: if it's been six years and nobody's bothered to close these security holes --- and the searches still work, I just tried --- then *THAT* is news.

Finding a security exploit is not big news. Leaving a security hole unfixed for six years *is* big news, especially if it's done by companies for whom "security" is literally their middle name.

Re:Nice one

[Local ID10T]

Here's the deal though: if it's been six years and nobody's bothered to close these security holes --- and the searches still work, I just tried --- then *THAT* is news.

Finding a security exploit is not big news. Leaving a security hole unfixed for six years *is* big news, especially if it's done by companies for whom "security" is literally their middle name.

Who says its a security hole?

Do I care if the entire world can look thru my camera? Does it in any way effect the operation of the camera or of the security system attached to it? No.

Now if the camera is pointed at something I don't want the rest of the world to see... maybe I should have sprung for a system that at least requires a password...

Re:Nice one

[cusco]

Does it in any way effect the operation of the camera or of the security system attached to it?

Actually it does. Most cameras have a limit of how many simultaneous connections are allowed. Exceed that limit and the owner might have to reboot the camera in order to access their own video feed. Bad news if that camera's looking at the door of your emergency room or your unmanned warehouse half a continent away.

Re:Nice one

[Peach Rings]

Me too, mine was even aimable with a little javascript control. Got a really good close up of the second tower.

Also on Ars Technica

[Max Romantschuk]

Ars Technica did a nice piece on this too:
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/guides/2011/01/one-mans-journey-through-the-world-of-unsecured-ip-surveillance-cams.ars

Worth a read.

This is so old.

[Securityemo]

And there's lots of other things you can find. Here are some lists: http://www.hackersforcharity.org/ghdb/

tons of cams are available.

[Zurk]

heres a long list copied from various parts of the web for searches you can try :

allintitle: "Network Camera NetworkCamera" Network cameras
intitle:Axis 2400 video server Mostly security cameras, car parks, colleges, clubs, bars, etc.
intitle:axis intitle:"video server" Mostly security cameras, car parks, colleges, bars, ski slopes etc.
intitle:"EvoCam" inurl:"webcam.html" Mostly European security cameras
intitle:"Live NetSnap Cam-Server feed" Network cameras, private and non private web cameras
intitle:"Live View / - AXIS" Mostly security cameras, car parks, colleges etc.
intitle:"LiveView / - AXIS" | inurl:view/view.shtml Mostly security cameras, car parks, colleges etc.
intitle:liveapplet Mostly security cameras, car parks, colleges, clubs, bars etc.
intitle:snc-cs3 inurl:home/ Mostly security cameras, swimming pools and more etc.
intitle:"snc-rz30 home" Mostly security cameras, shops, car parks
intitle:snc-z20 inurl:home/ Mostly security cameras, swimming pools and more etc.
intitle:"WJ-NT104 Main" Mostly security cameras, shops, car parks
inurl:LvAppl intitle:liveapplet Mostly security cameras, car parks, colleges etc.
inurl:indexFrame.shtml "Axis Video Server" Mostly security cameras, car parks, colleges etc.
inurl:lvappl A huge list of webcams around the world, mostly security cameras, car parks, colleges etc.
inurl:axis-cgi/jpg Mostly security cameras
inurl:indexFrame.shtml Axis Mostly security cameras, car parks, colleges etc.
inurl:"MultiCameraFrame?Mode=Motion" Mostly security cameras, pet shops, colleges etc.
inurl:/view.shtml Mostly security cameras, car parks, colleges etc.
inurl:/view/index.shtml Mostly security cameras, airports, car parks, back gardens, traffic cams etc.
inurl:viewerframe?mode= Network cameras, mostly private webcams etc.
inurl:"viewerframe?mode=motion" Network cameras
inurl:ViewerFrame?Mode=Refresh Mostly security cameras, parks, bird tables etc.

Other searches:
control/userimage.html liveapplet inurl:indexframe.shtml inurl:"view/index.shtml" inurl:"view/indexFrame.shtml" inurl:view/view.shtml
inurl:/view/view.shtml?videos= inurl:ViewerFrame?Mode= inurl:ViewerFrame?Mode=Motion inurl:ViewerFrame?Mode=Refresh site:.viewnetcam.com -www.viewnetcam.com /view/index.shtml

In Title:
intitle:"live view" intitle:axis
intitle:"EvoCam" inurl:"webcam.html"
intitle:"i-Catcher Console - Web Monitor"
intitle:"Live NetSnap Cam-Server feed"
allintitle:liveapplet
intitle:liveapplet
intitle:"netcam live image"
intitle:"snc-rz30 home"
intitle:"WJ-NT104 Main"

In URL:
inurl:axis-cgi/jpg
inurl:indexFrame.shtml Axis
inurl:indexFrame.shtml "Axis Video Server"
inurl:lvappl live webcams
inurl:LvAppl intitle:liveapplet
inurl:"MultiCameraFrame?Mode=Motion"
inurl:/view:shtml
inurl:/view/index.shtml
inurl:view/indexframe.shtml
inurl:view/view.shtml
viewerframe?mode=
inurl:"viewerframe?mode=motion"
inurl:ViewerFrame?Mode=Refresh

Two searches in one order:
intitle:"live view" intitle:axis (two searches in one order)
intitle:axis intitle:"video server"
intitle:liveapplet inurl:LvAppl
intitle:"Live View / - AXIS" | inurl:view/view.shtml
intitle:start inurl:cgistart

Combination:
camera linksys inurl:main.cgi
Display Cameras intitle:"Express6 Live Image"
intitle:"active webcam page"
intitle:"EvoCam" inurl:"webcam.html"
inurl:LvAppl intitle:liveapplet
intitle:"Live View / - AXIS"
intitle:liveapplet inurl:LvAppl
intitle:"my webcamXP server!" inurl:":8080"
intitle:"Network Camera" inurl:ViewerFrame
intitle:snc-z20 inurl:home/
intitle:snc-rz30 inurl:home/
intitle:"toshiba network camera - User Login"
intitle:"Live View / - AXIS" | inurl:view/view.shtml
tilt intitle:"Live View / - AXIS" | inurl:view/view.shtml
intitle:"WJ-NT104 Main Page"

Sometimes your order gives hundreds of URLs. You can restrict your search by adding a country, a specialized URL or another mes

Re:tons of cams are available.

[cusco]

Just an FYI, as someone who does this for a living, most of our competition leaves their cameras at the factory default usernames and passwords. Try root, admin or Admin as usernames, and root, admin, pass, 1234, 12345 or just plain blank as passwords. Some of the manufacturers are getting a clue and requiring a password be created on first login in the newer firmware, but most of these bozos are just putting in the old factory default again.

Glad I work for one of the few security companies that doesn't have its head up its collective ass. I'd really hate working for one of the Big Three.

Re:tons of cams are available.

[hedwards]

Because then they can figure out ways of obscuring themselves more effectively. Which is the problem, additionally you frequently run into dome cameras where you're not sure where exactly they're pointed. With practice you can see very quickly, but it's a bit of a risk.

Cameras Everywhere

[NReitzel]

At the University where I work, there are cameras in all of the lobby areas and in many of the labs. They are publicly accessible, for the most part - non-port 22 but otherwise unsecured. However, because the University wants to be able to use the pictures in legal proceedings, all the camera areas are clearly marked with "Video Surveillance" stickers.

I can't speak for anyone else, but it's not that hard to just not do funky things in these areas.

Yes, it intrudes on my sphere, but I have no expectation of privacy at work, or on the street. If I want to do something private, I go somewhere private. It's not that much of a burden, at least to me.

Re:I've hacked into...

[fridaynightsmoke]

so you like to hack into gay bar to watch penises, as they says : each to is own !

What a dick. If they find out, he's screwed.

Aggregator

[symes]

Someone has a whole list of open webcams: http://www.opentopia.com/hiddencam.php

My local red light cameras

[www.sorehands.com]

Now all I need is to have the IP address of my local red light and speed cameras.

Of course, I would never have any fun and do something like, changing the time, moving the camera, replacing drivers' faces with pictures of say, maybe Osama Bin Laden, Benjamin Franklin, or the president.