Tuesday, December 2, 2025 - 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 investigation 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.
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