Watch out for video doorbells sold on Amazon that have serious security problems, Consumer Reports says

Video doorbells sold on digital marketplaces such as Amazon, Walmart, Temu, Sears, and Shein may have flaws, according to Consumer Reports.

As part of its routine testing, Consumer Report’s examined Eken and Tuck video doorbells that looked like the same product under different brand names. A deeper look by testing organization’s researchers revealed security vulnerabilities; the two products and at least 10 more seemingly identical video doorbells are being sold under a range of brand names on various digital marketplaces.

They’re all manufactured by one company called Eken Group Ltd., which is based in Shenzhen, China, and controlled through a mobile app called Aiwit, which Eken also operates. 

The security issues with the video doorbells, according to the testing organization, are: 

• Exposure of a user’s home IP addresses and WiFi network names to the internet without encryption, possibly opening a user’s home network to malicious activity.
• Ability of potential bad actors to take over the device by downloading the Aiwit smartphone app and entering the doorbell into pairing mode, which allows a malicious actor to take ownership of the device, view footage, and lock out the owner of the device.
• Ability for remote access to still images from the video feed and other information without authentication, by acquiring the serial number of the doorbell.
• Lack of a registration code that must be visible on this class of product, under Federal Communications Commission regulations.

“These video doorbells from little known manufacturers have serious security and privacy vulnerabilities, and now they’ve found their way onto major digital marketplaces such as Amazon and Walmart,” said Justin Brookman, director of tech policy for Consumer Reports. “Both the manufacturers and platforms that sell the doorbells have a responsibility to ensure that these products are not putting consumers in harm’s way.”

Major e-commerce platforms such as Amazon and Walmart need to do a better job of vetting sellers and products sold on their platforms, so consumers aren’t put at risk, Brookman said, adding it’s become clear that new rules are needed to hold online retailers more accountable.

Eken, Tuck, and the other brands aren’t prominent names in the video doorbell market, but they’re relatively strong sellers online, he said.

Consumer Reports is asking the FTC to stop the online sale of these doorbell cameras and calling on online retailers to take steps to guarantee the quality of the products they sell, Brookman said.

Thousands of unsafe products including potentially dangerous children’s sleepwear, carbon monoxide detectors, and dietary supplements have been widely available on Amazon, according to state and federal regulators.