Your Eufy Camera May Have Let Strangers See Into Your Home

The company claims the problem is resolved

By
Sascha Brodsky
Sascha Brodsky headshot
Sascha Brodsky
Senior Tech Reporter
  • Macalester College
  • Columbia University
Sascha Brodsky is a freelance journalist based in New York City. His writing has appeared in The Atlantic, the Guardian, the Los Angeles Times and many other publications.
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Updated on May 17, 2021 03:47PM EDT
Fact checked by
Rich Scherr
Rich Scherr
Fact checked by Rich Scherr
  • University of Maryland Baltimore County
Rich Scherr is a seasoned technology and financial journalist who spent nearly two decades as the editor of Potomac and Bay Area Tech Wire.
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Internet & Security

A privacy breach let strangers watch your live and recorded Eufy security camera streams, Reddit users reported on Monday.  

The issue with the Eufy cameras could let anyone access your account, and even control the pan-and-tilt of some cameras. Before noon on Monday, a notice on the official Eufy forum said that the problem had been resolved. It wasn’t immediately clear how long the issues had been going on. 

eufy


"The issue was due to a bug in one of our servers," according to the forum post. "This was quickly resolved by our engineering team and our customer service team will continue to assist those affected. We recommend all users to: 1. Please unplug and then reconnect the home base. 2. Log out of the Eufy security app and log in again. Contact support@eufylife.com for enquiries. (sic)"

On Reddit, users reacted to the news of the security breach. 

"This makes me feel so good about never biting the bullet on any Eufy Cameras," user quote_work_unquote wrote. "You just can't let live feeds from INSIDE PEOPLE'S HOMES get crossed up and sent to others. Wyze had something similar happen a while back and I immediately threw those in the trash."

The story was first reported by 9to5Mac. 

Cybersecurity experts say the Eufy issue is part of a growing number of privacy problems with home security devices. 

Each of these devices, in most cases, connect to our home Wi-Fi accounts or public Wi-Fi if we are on the go. This can make them especially vulnerable to unauthorized access or hacking.

"IoT devices have changed the way we connect, streamline daily tasks, and monitor different aspects of daily life," Heather Paunet, a senior vice president at cybersecurity firm Untangle, said in an email interview. "Each of these devices, in most cases, connect to our home Wi-Fi accounts or public Wi-Fi if we are on the go. This can make them especially vulnerable to unauthorized access or hacking."

Protect yourself by choosing a strong, unique password, Joseph Carson, chief security scientist at cybersecurity firm ThycoticCentrify, said in an email interview, adding, "It can be the difference between having a criminal watching you in your own home via your security camera."

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