Bevy of smart doorbell bugs earn Ekon an FCC penalty for negligence
The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) proposed a $734,872 penalty against a smart doorbell manufacturer that was anything but.
According to a decision from the US communications watchdog, Hong Kong based doorbell vendor Eken failed to disclose a number of security vulnerabilities that placed homeowners in danger.
Investigators found that the hardware used for Eken smart doorbells contained a number of security vulnerabilities that were not properly patched. These include flaws that would have potentially allowed threat actors to remotely hijack the cameras and capture images or control camera views.
The audit is part of a larger effort by the FCC to investigate Chinese appliance vendors for possible access vulnerabilities that would allow threat actors to remotely spy on residents. This includes covert access to camera images, IP addresses, and WiFi network details.
In short, the vendors were accused of neglecting vulnerabilities that could allow for remote takeover of the targeted device. What is worse, the company in this case seems to have gone on the lam and given up its US operation.
