That security camera and smart doorbell you’re using may have some major security flaws

When 24-year-old Heather Hines from Southern California was changing into her work clothes last month, she noticed the seven security cameras she owned from Wyze went offline for a short period of time, including the one in her bedroom.

When 24-year-old Heather Hines from Southern California was changing into her work clothes last month, she noticed the seven security cameras she owned from Wyze went offline for a short period of time, including the one in her bedroom. About 48 hours later, she received an email from the company stating that thousands of its customers opened their apps and saw photos and video footage from inside other people’s homes. The issue stemmed from a caching problem from a third-party partner that occurred when the camera systems came back online. Hines was one of the 13,000 accounts that were compromised in the hack. About 1,500 users viewed images and videos from other Wyze cameras. “It made me feel violated,” said Hines, who used the cameras to monitor her sick cat when she’s not at home. “I’m scared I’m going to wake up one day and have my friends texting me saying my camera video got leaked.” Issues with surveillance systems like cameras and doorbells continue to make headlines, stoking security and privacy concerns, reminding people who own smart home gadgets that some devices intended to make homes safer or more convenient continue to pose some serious security risks. Still, little repercussions exist for the companies responsible for keeping customers safe. Hines told CNN she was “disappointed” in the Wyze’s limited response after inquiring what photos or footage were captured and seen by other users. In an email to Hines viewed by CNN, the company wrote: “We truly understand your concern, and we regret that we are unable to offer detailed information on a per-camera basis or specifics about how users might have been affected.”