Digital cameras with built-in Wi-Fi let people quickly send images to other devices. But a vulnerability in the process could leave people鈥檚 cameras exposed.
Eyal Itkin at Israel-based firm Check Point found that the way cameras transfer information 鈥� the Picture Transfer Protocol (PTP) 鈥� could be exploited.
An external device, such as a laptop, uses PTP to ask the camera for pictures and other information such as battery level, and the camera responds with the requested information.
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Itkin found that by sending specific requests he could completely take over the camera.
Read more: The Darkening Web
The hack can occur via two methods. An attacker can place a fake public Wi-Fi access point in a public location and then take control of any camera that connects to it. Alternatively, the same outcome can happen if a camera is plugged into a computer which an attacker already has control of or has infected with malware.
Itkin demonstrated the vulnerability on a Canon EOS camera. Canon has now patched the issue, but he believes that similar approaches could work with other cameras.
The worry is that someone could use the process to install ransomware. This is a type of program that encrypts the contents of a device so that the owner can鈥檛 access them. The attacker then demands a payment for returning the device back to its normal status.
鈥淚nfected cameras could also send back all of their photos back to the attacker,鈥� says Itkin.
He says owners of Wi-Fi-enabled cameras can protect their images by making sure their camera is fully updated with the latest firmware, turning the Wi-Fi off when it isn鈥檛 in use, and avoiding connecting to public Wi-Fi networks.
