Eken fixes ‘terrible’ video doorbell issue that could let someone spy on you

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2024-04-27 21:30:02

By Amrita Khalid , one of the authors of audio industry newsletter Hot Pod. Khalid has covered tech, surveillance policy, consumer gadgets, and online communities for more than a decade.

A company that manufactures video doorbells found by Consumer Reports to contain serious security vulnerabilities has issued a fix, the consumer advocacy group is reporting. Eken Group has issued a firmware update for the affected security products under its own name, as well as those from other brands it has licensing deals with, including Fishbot, Rakeblue, Tuck, and others. All the video doorbells use the Aiwit smartphone app and could be purchased from popular online retailers like Amazon, Shein, Temu, and Walmart.

Back in February, CR reported that it found vulnerabilities in Eken-produced video doorbells that “could allow a dangerous person to take control of the video doorbell on their target’s home.”

Gaining access to the doorbell didn’t even require any level of hacking knowledge: bad actors could simply download the Aiwit app, go to their target’s home, and hold down the doorbell’s button to pair it with their own smartphones, change their Wi-Fi network, and take control of the device.