Hackers Got Inside a Flock Camera

Hackers infiltrated a Flock camera, gaining access to the device's storage and an encryption key that unlocked video footage of thousands of vehicle detections. The camera, described as protected by on-device encryption, was able to produce dozens of images of a single passing vehicle, generating over a million images in total. The hackers shared the material with 404 Media and Distributed Denial of Secrets, who then analyzed the data as part of a joint investigation.

While most of the camera's sensitive data remained encrypted and inaccessible, the recovered information revealed that the software running on the device could detect people, vehicles, license plates, and bicycles. The camera's computer-vision software sometimes isolated bumper stickers and other graphics from the images it captured.

The incident highlights the potential for unauthorized access to Flock cameras, with some towns considering stopping their use altogether. In response, the hackers stated that they liberated the hardware, reverse-engineered the cameras, and discovered the secrets of those "spying on us."