Censys finds 87,000 vulnerable internet cameras in Europe

An investigation by internet intelligence firm Censys has identified approximately 87,000 internet-connected cameras in Europe that are publicly accessible and potentially vulnerable to exploitation. This finding follows reports from Dutch intelligence services regarding Russian state actors hacking cameras in the Netherlands, Ukraine, and other EU and NATO member states.

The hacking campaign reportedly aims to gain intelligence on military transport routes, weapon deliveries to Ukraine, and the locations of Ukrainian military personnel. Captured footage is allegedly analyzed using image recognition software to facilitate targeted operations.

In Germany, over 65,000 cameras can be accessed directly via IP address from the public internet. Of these, nearly 8,400 hosts appear to contain unpatched security vulnerabilities that have already been exploited in practice. The investigation also identified more than 4,000 vulnerable cameras in Ukraine.