this post was submitted on 22 Dec 2025
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Flock Exposed Its AI-Powered Cameras to the Internet. 404 Media Tracked Themselves. (www.404media.co)
submitted 1 day ago by tonytins@pawb.social to c/technology@lemmy.world
93 comments fedilink hide all child comments
 

I am standing on the corner of Harris Road and Young Street outside of the Crossroads Business Park in Bakersfield, California, looking up at a Flock surveillance camera bolted high above a traffic signal. On my phone, I am watching myself in real time as the camera records and livestreams me—without any password or login—to the open internet. I wander into the intersection, stare at the camera and wave. On the livestream, I can see myself clearly. Hundreds of miles away, my colleagues are remotely watching me too through the exposed feed.

Flock left livestreams and administrator control panels for at least 60 of its AI-enabled Condor cameras around the country exposed to the open internet, where anyone could watch them, download 30 days worth of video archive, and change settings, see log files, and run diagnostics.

Archive: http://archive.today/IWMKe

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[–] jmsy@lemmy.world 18 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Snip their wires, spray paint their lens, or put a hammer on the end of a tall stick. it should be easy to take these things out. Of course don't do anything or have anything on you that would identify you were in the area at the time of these actions.

[–] cardfire@sh.itjust.works 9 points 1 day ago

There is now enough adjacent cctv coverage to follow your approach and exit from the scene of the crime. The rush is that another Flock camera is used to identify, and then make an example out of you or me.

[–] thermal_shock@lemmy.world 9 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Air rifles are pretty cheap too if you can shoot straight.

[–] Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works 5 points 1 day ago (2 children)

I am wondering if a super soaker with very salty water would work. It should heavily obscure the lens when dried and if someone doesn't clean it properly it will scratch it to hell.

[–] Bytemeister@lemmy.world 3 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Rain is a thing.

[–] Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works 3 points 1 day ago

Cameras are typically angled down and have a little rain hood.

[–] Ledivin@lemmy.world 1 points 22 hours ago (1 children)

If the lens is getting wet, it's an awfully shitty surveillance camera.

[–] Bytemeister@lemmy.world 2 points 21 hours ago (1 children)

Did you miss the part about unencrypted admin creds being widely available on the internet?

[–] Ledivin@lemmy.world 1 points 16 hours ago* (last edited 16 hours ago)

That doesn't make it a shitty camera, that makes it unsecured. Those are very different problems.

[–] thethunderwolf@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 day ago

Water with flour and dye