Heads up! - security risk on shared wyze cameras

[JeffS]

First Of All… Let Me Say, WYZE Technical and Customer Support Has Done NOTHING About This And Has Gone As Far As To Ignore Or Not Respond To Emails. That Says A Lot WYZE Customers.

If C Level WYZE Executives such as Yun Zhang, Elana Fishman, Dave Crosby, or Dongsheng Song would like the emails forwarded to them I will gladly oblige.

BE CAREFUL WHOM YOU SHARE YOUR WYZE CAMERAS WITH. The Shared Users Can TURN OFF Your Cameras In The WYZE APP.

The threat here is this… if you share your WYZE camera with a trusted source like a boyfriend, girlfriend, close friend, and/or even a wife or husband… and then that relationship goes belly-up, that person with the shared access to the homes WYZE cameras can COMPLETELY TURN THEM OFF in the WYZE APP, enter the home with previous given trusted key or by breaking in and DO ANYTHING they want. You will never know or have any recording of it because your cameras were turned off.

WYZE Cameras Shared Users can also turn off your cameras Notifications. This is less serious than being able to completely turn off the cameras but still very serious. No Notifications about motion or sound detection.

Now why would WYZE allow this capability and power in the WYZE App for shared camera users? I HAVE NO FRIGGIN IDEA! I have been asking that in email to WYZE Support for a month now. Why allow shared users to have ANY CONTROL over your cameras outside of viewing, speaking, and listening. Those things we are all knowingly giving access to when we share a camera with someone.

Yun Zhang, Elana Fishman, Dave Crosby, Dongsheng Song… Are you out there? Hello? McFlyyy…Security Risk In Your WYZE Camera App. Let me forward you my emails sent to your WYZE Customer Support Staff AND Press and Media Department.

I see a lot of writeups out here about WYZE Cameras mysteriously going off and on. Is this related to a shared camera user messing with it? MAYBE. I do not have WYZE Bulbs or Plugs… Does the WYZE App allowed shared users access to control those? I don’t know. But allowing a shared user to allow full control over your camera is absurd.

I raised the flag…Let’s see what happens now WYZE Community. Will WYZE Respond Now?
I DOUBT IT.

[Loki]

If something goes awry with a person you have shared your camera with, you can cancel the share immediately in the Wyze app.

[StopICU33]

But allowing a shared user to allow full control over your camera is absurd.

Shared users can access the camera’s Live Stream and Event Videos, but they cannot change camera settings or view microSD card footage. You will see the shared Live Stream on your Home tab in the Wyze app.

Stop Sharing

At any point, you can stop sharing a camera. To do this, tap the device in question in Account Tab → Sharing . You will see a list of the users you have shared the camera with. Tap Cancel to remove a shared user from the camera.

[paindonthurt]

I guess I only share with people that I am very very close with and I’m not worried about it. If you’re that concerned about it you’re sharing it with too many people that you can’t 100% trust. It sounds like an individual issue to me not a group issue.

[rbruceporter]

I think you are perhaps worried unnecessarily as @Loki points out simply revoke the share. This is true for pretty much any device or technology you may share with someone not just Wyze. If you give someone shared access to your checking account or trading account you would want to remove them.

[Loki]

This is a Wishlist topic that you can vote for and/or comment on here:

Multiple Users' Permissions for Shared Users

So we have multiple camera’s set up at our house. My wife and I both have the app and I shared the camera with her. The problem we run into is that I want to give her full access to control settings also, but there is no permissions list for users who have access to the camera. Every time one person wants to change the settings, increase sensitivity, turn off notifications etc, you have to call/text the other person to change the settings. We use them for security and as a baby monitor so set…

[JeffS]

Yes one can unshare the camera, or stop the sharing after trusted relationship dissolves, or even cut the internet but that’s not the point… Allowing a shared user to control the device and actually turn the device off is a FLAW in the WYZE App…and YES shared users can modify the Notifications “setting” as well on owners shared cameras.

Think of it this way…and sorry these are the only analogies I could come up with at this moment…If you share pictures on your Facebook page with your FB Friends, is it okay for “shared users” to be able to delete your pictures from your FB account page…or maybe this is better… take any streaming service that basically is sharing movies or music…are end “shared” users allowed to remotely control whether the streaming service is up or down?

No.

[rbruceporter]

I just don’t see anything wrong. I share my cameras with my wife. I certainly want her to be able to turn cameras on and off. In fact I wish I could share more control. See the #wishlist item @Loki shared above.

If I had shared a camera with someone that I asked not to turn it off say, and they did, I would simply stop sharing it with them. If you are unsure of someone then don’t share it with them. You control who it is shared to.

As far as your analogy goes, yes my wife could delete my pictures or posts on Facebook back when I had a Facebook account. No, other friends and family members could not because I did not share my account details with them.

Life happens, people and relationships grow or fail this is a situation as old as the human race. [MOD Edit] Revoke shares, change your locks, reset your passwords. It happens.

MOD NOTE: Post edited to conform to the Community Guidelines.

[JeffS]

@rbruceporter - The shared users DONT HAVE my WYZE Account Login Credentials… They have Their OWN WYZE Account created by them on WYZE.

[MOD Edit]

MOD NOTE: Post edited to conform to the Community Guidelines.

[DreadPirateRush]

Some posts were edited that did not follow the Community Guidelines, specifically the following sections. Please flag posts violating the guidelines so the moderators can respond appropriately.

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[Ken.S]

I agree Wyze should have more options for the owner account to set for shared users but I mostly see people wanting to give MORE access to shared users, not less, especially if it’s a spouse.

[JeffS]

@rbruceporter -
Here… REAL Life WYZE Scenarios… A Tons More Out Here. Again, NOT shared WYZE Account Credentials (i.e. same WYZE Account Login and Password), Just simple WYZE Shared Camera Video Feed. A shared User should Not have this level of control…and WYZE…what are you waiting for? Something bad to happen?

Shared user controls

I’m running a small child day care in my home and thought these would be awesome for parents and their sense of security. So my husband and I both created accounts to see how the video feed sharing would go, We found that shared users could use all the controls, like turning the cameras on and off. We definitely don’t want parents to be able to turn on the cameras “After hours”. I don’t see where we can manage the Shared Users controls. Am I missing it or is this idea not going to work?

Share users dont turn off cam

Hi, is it possible not to allow shared user to turn off or turn on camera. In my case, I am using it for nanny monitoring and have given access to my parents to watch. Now I don’t want them to accidentally turn on camera while it is turned off.

[Ken.S]

Seems like a simple solution, if you don’t want another user to have the access Wyze has designed… Don’t share it

[JeffS]

I believe you mean don’t BUY it.

[angus.black]

@JeffS

if you share your WYZE camera with a trusted source like a boyfriend, girlfriend, close friend, and/or even a wife or husband… and then that relationship goes belly-up, that person with the shared access to the homes WYZE cameras can COMPLETELY TURN THEM OFF in the WYZE APP, enter the home with previous given trusted key

Only give camera access to people you trust with a key to your home.
But… If the trusted person has a key to your home having access to your Wyze cam settings seems to be a moot point.

While I do agree that sharing the ability to turn off cameras is a potential problem, the bottom line is; you are aware of the potential hazards of sharing your key and access to your cameras so act accordingly.

Here’s an analogy, I use Weiser Smart Key locks on my home, garage and cottage. It’s fairly well known that these locks are vulnerable to hacking but I use them anyway because it’s convenient to use the same key on every lock and the risk is minimal. If someone wants in they will break a window no matter what type of lock is on the door.

[rbruceporter]

Yes i understand that. My wife has her own credentials not mine. I think perhaps you missed that point.

[rbruceporter]

Again yes, I actually have a real life. so I do understand your concern. But as I and others have said the answer is simple. Don’t share access with anyone you don’t implicitly trust. Revoke the share if necessary. This is not at all different than giving someone a key to your home. If they abuse that trust then you would change your locks. (Revoke shared access).

Truthfully If someone wants to shut your cameras down they can use a $50 dollar WiFi jammer. Or take 5 minutes and find your power meter and pull the disconnect. Or just wear a mask when they break into your house.

[JeffS]

Sharing video feed is not the issue. The level of shared user control is. By default share that level of control to shut down cameras should not be granted. The owner should have control and decision power over that.

[DreadPirateRush]

You have some good points. I think they would be very welcome and more valuable as input in the thread @Loki mentioned.

Multiple Users' Permissions for Shared Users

So we have multiple camera’s set up at our house. My wife and I both have the app and I shared the camera with her. The problem we run into is that I want to give her full access to control settings also, but there is no permissions list for users who have access to the camera. Every time one person wants to change the settings, increase sensitivity, turn off notifications etc, you have to call/text the other person to change the settings. We use them for security and as a baby monitor so set…

[rbruceporter]

There is a #wishlist item to allow more granular control over what is and is not shared. I believe you will find more than a few people who agree with you on that point. And others, like me, that want the ability to share full control.

Different needs and opinions are what makes life interesting!