NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Video doorbells make it easy for you to watch who’s coming and going, but who else might be viewing those videos?
“We were really surprised to find that anyone could walk up to one of these doorbells and take it over in a matter of seconds, and from there actually view screenshots of the doorbell potentially from thousands of miles away,” Consumer Reports' Dan Wroclawski said.
Consumer Reports’ extensive security tests revealed a number of video doorbells that have serious security flaws that could make users vulnerable to a security breach.
They all use the same mobile app, called Aiwit. The devices Consumer Reports tested are sold under the brand names EKEN and Tuck, but we found the doorbells sold under many other brand names, including FISHBOT, RAKEBLUE, Andoe, Luckwolf, and more. Retailers including Amazon, Walmart and Sears, along with Shein and Temu sell them.
“Your home is deeply personal and private. If someone is able to view your doorbell camera and see when you come and go, it presents a lot of security risks," Wroclawski said. "For example, an abuser or a stalker could keep tabs on a victim and it could create a very dangerous situation.”
Experts blame the flood of cheap, insecure electronics from Chinese manufacturers being sold in the U.S as a growing problem.
“We're seeing a lot of overseas manufacturers create these obscure, cheap, no-name products and then flooding marketplaces here in the U.S. with them," Wroclawski added. "Retailers do very little to vet these products, and it's very easy to become a seller on one of these online marketplaces.”
Consumer Reports reached out to Eken and Tuck, but has not received a response.
If you have a video doorbell that uses the mobile app Aiwit and looks like the models shown in this report, Consumer Reports recommends you disconnect it from your home WiFi and remove it from your door.
Consumer Reports has evaluated video doorbells with much better security from brands including Logitech, SimpliSafe, and Ring.
September 11, 2001 is a day most associate with terror and tragedy. Austin Pollack shares a story from that day about hope and persistence: the effort to save a little girl’s life – with an organ donation. The problem? The young patient was in Houston, and her life-saving liver here in Nashville. With the grounding of all civilian aircraft, how could it be done? “Nobody ever said this isn’t possible.”
- Rhori Johnston
