More than 120,000 video cameras installed in homes and businesses across South Korea have been hacked, with stolen footage turned into s3xually exploitative material and uploaded to an overseas website, according to police.
Four suspects have been arrested. Investigators say they took advantage of weak security on Internet Protocol (IP) cameras, including simple or default passwords, to gain access to private video feeds. IP cameras, which connect directly to home internet networks, are widely used as cheaper alternatives to CCTV for monitoring homes, children, pets, and small businesses.
Authorities say hacked locations include private residences, karaoke rooms, a pilates studio, and even a gynaecologist’s clinic, some of the most sensitive environments imaginable.
South Korea’s National Police Agency said the four suspects were not working together. One of them allegedly hacked 63,000 cameras and produced 545 s3xually exploitative videos, which he reportedly sold for 35 million won worth of virtual assets. Another suspect is accused of hacking 70,000 cameras and selling 648 videos for 18 million won. Police say these two individuals were responsible for 62% of the videos posted over the past year on a website dedicated to distributing hacked IP camera footage.
Three additional people who allegedly bought and viewed the illicit material from the website have also been arrested.
Park Woo-hyun, a senior cyber investigations official, said, “IP camera hacking and illegal filming inflict immense suffering on victims and are therefore serious offences. We will eradicate them through vigorous investigations. Viewing and possessing illegally filmed videos are also serious crimes, so we will actively investigate them.”
Police are now working with international agencies to identify and shut down the foreign website hosting the footage.
Victims at 58 confirmed locations have already been visited or notified. Authorities have instructed them on how to change passwords and secure their devices, and are helping to remove and block illegally shared content. Investigators fear many more victims may still be unaware their cameras were compromised.
The National Police Agency urged the public to stay alert: “It is crucial and effective for individual users who have installed IP cameras in homes or business premises to remain vigilant and immediately and regularly change their access passwords.”
Officials continue to trace the full spread of the leaked material and identify all affected individuals.
