How I Gained Access to a Corporate CCTV Surveillance System Using Shodan

Hey there! It’s Adnan from Tamil Nadu 🌟, and I want to share an interesting yet alarming story about how I unintentionally gained access to a corporate CCTV surveillance system while exploring Shodan. What started as a simple curiosity led me into a deep dive into the world of surveillance systems and IoT vulnerabilities. Here’s how it all unfolded, step by step.

On a regular day, I was playing around with Shodan, the search engine for internet-connected devices, when I got the idea to look up Hikvision cameras — a popular brand of CCTV. I refined my search using the query:

Then, I sorted the results to focus on devices around Chennai. To my surprise, I found a list of IP addresses linked to open Hikvision cameras in the area. Intrigued, I decided to see how far this rabbit hole would go.

I started accessing these IP addresses one by one. Most showed a login page, so I tried basic default passwords like admin/admin and 12345—and it was mostly hit or miss. But after some time, I finally hit the jackpot: I successfully logged into a system with default credentials, gaining full access to a corporate MNC's CCTV surveillance system in Chennai. 😲

With access to live camera feeds inside a factory, I was alarmed at the lack of security. But my curiosity drove me further. I ran an Nmap scan on the system, revealing additional open ports like 81 and 82, also running Hikvision portals.

Using the same default login credentials, I accessed over 200 cameras within the factory, giving me complete control of their CCTV surveillance. This showed how dangerous it is to leave default settings unchanged. 🔐

Curious about which company I had gained access to, I needed to figure out its identity. Unfortunately, there were no obvious signs in the CCTV footage. However, I noticed logos and color schemes on employee uniforms and factory equipment.

Using some basic OSINT (Open Source Intelligence) techniques, I pieced together clues from the footage to gather more information about the factory.

With the information I gathered, I cross-referenced the factory layout and logo colors with Google Maps and other online sources. After some investigation, I was able to pinpoint the exact location of the factory and identify the company. 🔍

Realizing the severity of this security flaw, I decided to report it to the company. I provided them with detailed information on how I had gained access and recommended steps to secure their system. Thankfully, they responded quickly and began working on fixing the issue. 👍

This incident highlighted some critical security flaws in how many corporations handle IoT devices like CCTV cameras. Here are a few essential steps that companies should take to avoid these types of breaches:

This experience showed me how easily IoT devices, especially surveillance systems, can be compromised due to poor security practices. Companies need to take IoT security seriously to avoid potential breaches, industrial espionage, or even physical security threats.

While this journey was eye-opening, it also reinforced the importance of responsible disclosure and ethical hacking. Always use your skills to make systems safer, and help organizations fix vulnerabilities before they become major problems.

Stay safe and secure,
Adnan 🔐