For the most part, hackers are pretty good at what they do. If they weren't, companies wouldn't be spending millions of dollars a year on secure infrastructure. But even the most dedicated engineers and analysts don't always understand/detect security flaws. That's why security researchers and white hat hackers work tirelessly to discover these bugs before hackers get a chance to exploit them.
However, security flaws aren't just found in computers, phones, or servers. Sometimes, a common device or gadget can fall victim to a security exploit that puts users at risk. Recently, researchers discovered a critical hole in a popular line of cameras. If left unchecked, a hacker could easily install ransomware or steal a photos for themselves.
Fortunately, the security researchers who discovered the flaw believe they have the solution for the exploit. Read below to learn what they found and how you can fix your camera to keep your private photos safe.
Canon DSLR cameras at risk of Wi‑Fi exploitation
Security researchers at Check Point Software Technologies recently discovered an unusual vulnerability in Canon DSLR cameras that use a third-party firmware called Magic Lantern. The issue arises as part of the camera's ability to connect to a computer over Wi-Fi for photo transfers.
According to Check Point's report, hackers can access the camera's Wi-Fi connection during a transfer and inject malicious code to gain access. For demonstration purposes, Check Point remotely installed ransomware on the test camera. The ransomware was very easy to encrypt the entire device and its SD card. Of course, after encryption, an unlock code was needed to use the camera again.
The worst of all, the user doesn't even need to interact with the camera to fall victim to hacking. The only thing the cybercriminals needed was to use the same Wi-Fi network that the camera uses for transmission.
I have a Canon DSLR. How can I protect myself from this security hole?
Fortunately, Check Point identified the flaw in March and worked closely with Canon during the repair process. Canon officially released an updated code version to address the problem that can be uploaded to any of the compatible DSLR cameras.
A USB connection is required to install it . The patch can be downloaded by connecting the camera to a computer and then performing a normal firmware update . The patch will be included in the latest version.
For an extra layer of security (or if you can't download the patch), you can disable the camera and only use USB for photo transfers. Unless a hacker can directly access the camera, it's unlikely they'll be able to carry out the attack any other way.
As serious as this security issue is, it is encouraging that we see a company collaborating with researchers in order to better serve its customers. Perhaps in the future we will see that this kind of collaboration becomes the norm in the tech industry.
