If you’ve purchased one of Amazon’s “Best Picks” for video doorbells in recent months, you might have bad news. New testing from Consumer Reports has found that popular doorbell cameras sold under brands like Eken and Tuck are rife with security flaws that make it easy for anyone to view your camera footage.
consumer reports Viewed ten video doorbells that looked the same Sold under various names such as Eken and Tuck, these are widely available on websites such as Amazon, Walmart, Shein and Temu. They are all made by Eken Group Ltd. and all use the same companion app called Aiwit. Apparently, hijacking these devices is as simple as downloading Aiwit and putting the doorbell into pairing mode. This allows an attacker to take over the device, view the footage and target the owner.
In fact, testing found that you can access the doorbell remotely without a password. All you need is the serial number of one of the doorbells to view photos from the video feed.
Eken’s products are not as well-known as competitors such as Ring or Wyze, but they are relatively popular. According to Consumer Reports, the Eken and Tuck doorbells have been named “Amazon’s Choice: Overall Pick” in recent months, with more than 4,200 doorbells purchased on the site in January 2024 alone. Consumer Reports says Amazon continues to display the Overall Choice badge on cameras after the organization discovered a security flaw.
“These video doorbells from little-known manufacturers have serious security and privacy vulnerabilities, and now they’re making their way to the likes of Amazon and Walmart,” Justin Brookman, director of technology policy at Consumer Reports, said in a press release. Major Digital Markets.” Posted. “Manufacturers and platforms selling doorbells have a responsibility to ensure that these products do not put consumers in harm’s way.”
consumer reports filed letter The Federal Trade Commission and Federal Communications Commission have called on the government to remove the cameras from the market and urged online retailers to ensure the safety of their products. (Disclosure: This reporter worked in Consumer Reports’ newsroom, which is separate from the company’s testing and advocacy divisions.)
A Temu spokesperson said the company immediately pulled the doorbell from its website after Consumer Reports contacted it. “We require all sellers on our platform to fully comply with the laws and regulations of the markets in which they sell, including providing necessary product documentation,” the spokesperson said. “We conduct regular spot checks on our affiliated warehouses to enforce this policy.” The spokesperson A spokesman said Temu was reviewing these and similar products to ensure they met legal requirements and other standards.
“The items mentioned in Consumer Reports were listed by third-party sellers and were quickly removed from our marketplace,” said Walmart spokesman John Forrest Ales. Walmart policy prohibits any electronic products that do not comply with U.S. FCC regulations.” Forrest Ales said Walmart will provide refunds to affected customers who purchased any violating products through its return policy.
Eken, Amazon and Shein did not respond to requests for comment.
Ironically, the products you buy for home security may end up violating your home security, but that’s nothing new. In 2023, Amazon agreed to pay $5.8 million to FTC to settle Privacy lawsuit against its Ring security cameras. According to the FTC, the company allowed every employee unrestricted access to users’ videos, including third-party contractors who did not receive special training in handling sensitive content. As a result of this lax approach, Ring users were victimized by voyeurs and peeping toms, the FTC said.Just last week, security camera company Wyze admitted that some 13,000 strangers saw each other’s video clips After software failure.
“Major e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and Walmart need to do a better job of vetting sellers and the products sold on their platforms so consumers are not put at risk,” Brookman said. “It’s clear we need new rules to allow online Retailers are taking on more responsibility.”