Are Hikvision, Dahua security flaws aiding Russia?

A nongovernmental organization being described as an investigative collective is adding to the warnings about the security of some Chinese video surveillance systems sold worldwide.

The Ukraine group, Underdog – the UnLawyers, reportedly says China’s Hikvision and Dahua commercial surveillance cameras dominating the Ukraine landscape have aided Russia’s attacks on the eastern European nation.

Hikvision and Dahua systems are sold and used widely in Russia. Ukraine has a list of outfits supporting Russia’s war, but the two reportedly are not on the list. China phone maker Xiaomi, however, has made the list, according to trade publisher Intelligence Online.

Underdog allegedly cooperates with Ukraine’s National Agency on Corruption Prevention. The group purports to be lawyers who had worked withing Ukraine’s legendarily corrupt legal system.

Fed through Google’s Translate app, the Underdog site describes their operations: “Our task is to change the situation so that the aggressor ceases to conflict, to wrest all his trump cards from him, to knock the ground out from under his feet, so that he is ready to sit down at the negotiation table.”

One of the capabilities the group advertises is “trolling,” which includes creating news stories.

Intelligence Online has reported Underdog’s allegations that the pair’s surveillance systems are being used to pinpoint Ukraine anti-aircraft defense.

According to the 40-year-old publication’s reporting, security flaws in Hikvision and Dahua software are being exploited. Images of Kyiv defenses have appeared on Telegram channels.

It is possible that Russia is not getting information through the companies or the Chinese government, but instead just know about system hacks.

Article Topics

China  |  Dahua Technology  |  HIKVISION  |  Russia  |  Ukraine  |  video surveillance