{"id":26219,"date":"2026-11-02T18:07:48","date_gmt":"2026-11-02T14:07:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/me-en.kaspersky.com\/blog\/?p=26219"},"modified":"2026-11-02T18:07:48","modified_gmt":"2026-11-02T14:07:48","slug":"intelbras-ip-cameras-vulnerability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/me-en.kaspersky.com\/blog\/intelbras-ip-cameras-vulnerability\/26219\/","title":{"rendered":"How to protect your surveillance camera"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today, in most countries around the world, virtually every reasonably large city is packed with video cameras. On the one hand, the idea, of course, is to \u201ckeep us safe\u201d: to monitor security in the streets, improve road safety and enforce traffic rules, and so on. But there\u2019s the other side of the coin \u2014 ubiquitous video surveillance creates both privacy risks and opportunities for unauthorized surveillance We\u2019ve repeatedly posted on our blog about how to protect yourself from surveillance involving IP cameras<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s another problem, too: relying too heavily on video surveillance systems can also be dangerous. If your cameras aren\u2019t adequately cyber-secure, attackers may be able to disable them remotely to be able to then enter physical areas supposedly protected by video surveillance without being detected. This issue is especially relevant to home and privately managed surveillance systems \u2014 large companies generally do a better job of securing their devices (although there are exceptions there as well<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Disabling or replacing a camera feed is an almost obligatory plot device in heist movies. But unfortunately, this isn\u2019t just a screenwriter\u2019s invention: our recent research uncovered a vulnerability that makes it possible to remotely disable IP cameras made by Intelbras \u2014 a popular camera manufacturer. Read on to learn what the problem is, and how to protect your surveillance systems; a detailed technical analysis of the vulnerability<\/a> is available on our expert blog, Securelist<\/a>.<\/p>\n

When an update does more harm than good<\/h2>\n

A surveillance camera is essentially a fully-fledged mini-computer, and its firmware needs to be updated regularly. In this case, however, the vulnerability was hidden in the firmware update procedure itself.<\/p>\n

Intelbras provides firmware update files on its official website. The firmware can be updated manually from an SD card, or over the local network via the web interface or mobile app. However, during a firmware update, the camera neither required (past tense; a patch has since been issued \u2013 see below) authentication nor validated the firmware file before starting the update. As a result, anyone connected to the same Wi-Fi network as the camera could send it an update request. When an update is initiated, the camera reboots, taking it offline for about a minute before it becomes available again. But if the requests are sent repeatedly in a loop, the camera can be kept offline indefinitely.<\/p>\n

We investigated this vulnerability on an Intelbras iM3 C (iM3B-C) camera running firmware version v240927 \u2014 the latest available at the time of our research. The iM3 C is a smart Full-HD Wi-Fi camera designed for both home surveillance and as a baby monitor. According to Intelbras, the firmware for the iM3 C is also compatible with the iMX C, iM4 C, iM5 SC, iME 360 C, and iM7+ FC models.<\/p>\n

\"Intelbras<\/a>

Intelbras iM3 C smart Wi-Fi camera used for the investigation. Its firmware is also compatible with the iMX C, iM4 C, iM5 SC, iME 360 C, and iM7+ FC models. Source<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

This vulnerability has a medium severity rating. However, because of the large number of potentially affected users, the impact of successful exploitation could be significant. Intelbras Mibo Smart<\/a> \u2014 Intelbras\u2019s app for setting up and managing these camera models \u2014 has been downloaded more than four million times, with most of its users based in Brazil and elsewhere in Latin America.<\/p>\n

We notified Intelbras about the vulnerability, and the company promptly fixed it in a new firmware release \u2014 R.260804<\/a> (installation instructions for the update are available here<\/a>).<\/p>\n

How to secure your cameras and other smart devices<\/h2>\n

First and foremost, all Intelbras owners should update their camera firmware as soon as possible \u2014 and continue to do so regularly. More generally, it\u2019s a good idea to secure your smart-home infrastructure in advance to reduce the risk posed by other potential vulnerabilities.<\/p>\n