Surprise, this $30 video doorbell has serious security issues

The video doorbells, made by a Chinese company called Eken and sold under various brand names for about $30 each, come with serious security issues which put their users at risk, according to User reports. The publication found that these doorbell cameras are being sold at popular marketplaces such as Walmart, Sears and Amazon, which have even given some of their listings the Amazon Choice badge. They are listed under the brands Eken, Tuck, Fishbot, Rakeblue, Andoe, Gemee and Luckwolf, among others, and are usually connected to the user’s phone via the Aiwit app. Outside of the US, the devices are sold on global marketplaces such as Shein and Temu. We also found them on Chinese website Alibaba and Southeast Asian e-commerce website Lazada.

Based on Consumer Reports” investigation, these devices are not encrypted and can expose the user’s home IP address and WiFi network name to the Internet, making it easier for bad actors to access. Even worse, someone with physical access to the doorbell can easily take control of it by creating an account on the Aiwit app and then pressing the button to put it into pairing mode, which then connects it to their phone. And even if the original owner regains control, the hijacker can still obtain time-stamped images from the doorbell as long as they know its serial number. If they choose to “share this serial number with others or even post it online, all those people will also be able to view the images,” User reports explains.

Based on the ratings these doorbells have received on Amazon, the platform has sold thousands to people who probably expected the devices to be able to provide some form of security for their homes. Instead, the devices pose a threat to their safety and privacy. Doorbells could even put people’s well-being and lives at risk if, say, they have stalkers or are victims of domestic violence with dangerous exes who want to follow their every move.

People who own one of these video doorbells can protect themselves by disconnecting it from their WiFi and physically removing it from their homes. User reports said it notified the online marketplaces that sell them of its findings in hopes that their listings would be removed. Temu told the outlet it was looking into the issue, but Amazon, Sears and Shein reportedly haven’t even responded.