Eufy security cameras suddenly start showing live feeds to strangers

If there's one thing you don't want your security camera to do, it's show your video feed or display recorded videos to a complete stranger.

Yet that's exactly what's happening to some owners of Eufy security cameras. Numerous customers have reported on Reddit and Twitter that their Eufy app has suddenly given them access to video cameras of a complete stranger, instead of their own video feeds.

9to5Mac first reported on the issue, and has been able to independently verify the problem; one of the site's writers said he could "see all details, recordings, live (edited). It was like I was logged in as the person."

On Reddit, users are saying the same thing. "I checked my app today (from New Zealand) and noticed none of the videos were of my own," said user MeChum87 this morning. "I can also see their contact details (...) I have 3 little children, I am very worried that others are looking at my cameras too."

I use Eufy cameras at my home, but could not replicate the issue.

Most of the reports are from Australia, but there are some users in the U.S. who are reporting the same thing. It's hard to say how widespread the issue is, but the reports seem to be mounting quickly — though some users also say that everything's normal in their Eufy app.

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As far as privacy breaches go, this one is an absolute nightmare for Eufy and its customers. People purchase security cameras and smart doorbells to feel more secure; the thought of having your private video feeds out in the open for someone else to see is horrible.

Besides security cameras, Eufy also sells other smart home appliances and gadgets, including lightbulbs, robot vacuum cleaners, smart locks, video doorbells, and baby monitors. It's unclear whether some of the other product categories is affected by the breach.

I've contacted Eufy about the breach and will update this article when I hear back.

UPDATE: May 17, 2021, 8:22 p.m. CEST Eufy posted the following on its official Twitter account:

A software bug occurred during our latest server upgrade at 4:50 AM EST today. Our engineering team recognized this issue at around 5:30 AM EST, and quickly got it fixed by 6:30AM EST.

The company followed up with a recommendation that all users unplug and then reconnect the device, and log out of the Eufy security app and log in again.

Eufy also sent an apology and similarly worded instructions to me without providing further details. However, Tom's Guide spoke to a company spokesperson, who told the outlet that the issue affected users at a small rate in the United States, New Zealand, Australia, Cuba, Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina, while users in Europe weren't affected.