Do You Think Hikvision Cameras/Recorders Have A Backdoor To The Chinese Government?

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Ethan Ace
Aug 15, 2016

It's come up multiple times in discussions and someone just asked us about it unsolicited offline.

Vote:

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Ethan Ace
Aug 15, 2016

I personally want to say no, but the more scientific part of my brain will only let me vote don't know. I think "yes" is extremely unlikely, though.

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UI
Undisclosed Integrator #1
Aug 15, 2016

What is lacking in this poll is the intent. I absolutely believe the engineers who designed the product can figure out how to get into the product.

I believe the real question and if it's worthy of a conspiracy theory, is "Why do you think they have a back door"

a. Customer Service

b. Evil purposes

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Ethan Ace
Aug 15, 2016

I don't think the Chinese Government would have a theoretical backdoor for customer service.

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UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #2
Aug 15, 2016

yes for sure i was in china recently and all the system integrators met said yes. the present govt monitors everything I was told. Also this was stated by them a few months ago I think one of their executives announced this in a press conference

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UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #2
Aug 15, 2016

do u know who runs Hikvision or its history of ownership.. please do some research and u will understand how it works ,,,,,,

U
Undisclosed #3
Aug 15, 2016
IPVMU Certified

Sub-question: Do they ever actually USE it?

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UM
Undisclosed Manufacturer #4
Aug 18, 2016

I don't think the real issue is if there is, or isn't, a current back door in the product now. I also don't think the issue is "are they watching right now?" I don't even think the issue is "will they ever watch the video from my camera?"

I think the real issue is that someday, at some point, will a new firmware be released? This new firmware will be installed in millions of computer nodes located all throughout the world on secure and insecure networks.

The real question is, what will this code be tasked with doing? Sniffing? Looking for place on the internal network to upload a Windows, Linux, IOS, or Android payload? What will those pieces of code be tasked with doing?

It's not conspiracy theory, it is simple capability and how it will be used. I think we all know the US would use this capability. StuxNet, etc ..

But I am sure the Chinese are not really into hacking so they would never use a capability such as this. Especially if it were a time of war.

Just sayin'

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Campbell Chang
Aug 22, 2016

I find it hard to believe that some boffin hasn't pulled the whole code apart and found it, should it exist not to mention that should it get out that there's one there, the entire company collapses.

I'm voting "Don't know" but leaning towards "no"

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dw
dean woodyatt
Aug 23, 2016

well, Cisco switches did,

Juniper too, (an un-intentional one apparently)

there's probably a "zero day" flaw in the cameras that few know about....

Actually though, why bother with back doors when most of the target market leave passwords and user names at default allowing a lot of cameras to become DDOS originators or for NVR's to become bitcoin miners !

U
Undisclosed #3
Nov 12, 2018
IPVMU Certified
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