Iranian groups exploit Hikvision Dahua flaws to take over cameras

Research from Tel Aviv–based Check Point describes hundreds of hacking attempts targeting consumer‑grade security cameras, with many of the campaigns timed to Iran’s missile and drone strikes in the region. The firm says five distinct vulnerabilities in Hikvision and Dahua cameras could have allowed takeover, though all were patched in prior updates and were discovered years ago, with one found as far back as 2017.

The attempts were carried out across Bahrain, Cyprus, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Israel, and Check Point notes most activity could be viewed only on networks using its firewall appliances, suggesting a skew toward its customer base in Israel. Check Point ties the targeting to three Iranian‑origin groups, including servers linked to the Iranian hacker group Handala, which has been associated with Iran’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security.

The piece also notes prior Iranian camera surveillance use in Tehran and references Ukrainian and Russian camera hacking activity, underscoring that such tactics have become a broader military reconnaissance tool. This story originally appeared on WIRED, according to WIRED.