Slovakia finds Russian backdoor in traffic speed cameras
Slovakia's national security service NBU has issued a security alert against NERO R-ONE high-speed traffic cameras, revealing they contain a backdoor that allows remote access via SMS from hardcoded Russian phone numbers. The cameras, rebranded Russian CORDON PRO.M devices from Semicon, were part of a €30 million EU-funded project. The Interior Ministry paused deployment after the NBU report, which also found disabled SecureBoot, web portal vulnerabilities, and exposed live streams.
Nobody should be buying security cameras from Russia, or China for that matter.
- gumby
Slovakia has had a longstanding pro-Russia political stance and supports Russia’s invasion of Ukraine (and opposes the EU sanctions).
You reap what you sow, MFs!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slovak_opposition_to_sanctions...
- bdhdhduuyd
So they bought the cameras and some people pointed out they look exactly the same as Russian cameras. The government denied this but after they figured out the serial numbers matched the Russian cameras they started this investigation.
Good they investigated this before using them, but this sounds like a big fu...
- PinkSheep
Over 100 comments, zero mentions that government funds should be spent on devices with auditable open-source firmware. Anyone here? No? Then I'm the first one to say this.
SecureBoot is a funny one. It should be signed with the deployer's keys (Slovak), not the manufacturer's. Trusted boot probably wasn't a consideration here, really.
Ironically, a custom firmware can now be used thanks to the lack of a digital lock... if you still trust the hardware.
PS: Props to NBU for doing their job.
- Animats
> the cameras expose live streams to anyone without a password and who knows their broadcasting IP.
Are these cameras in use in Russia? Can people outside of Russia look in at Russian traffic in this way?
- thisisnotauser
The comments here seem to presuppose that somehow Slovakia is the only ones who would need to worry about this, and not, say, any town with Flock in it
- sorokod
"Кордон.Про" product page on the simicon site
- physhster
It's almost as if electing a pro-Russia politician has consequences...
- tomas789
Imagine somebody being able to track almost anyone using road side cameras. Good thing such things happen only in eastern Europe wink wink