Welcome back, my aspiring cyberwarriors! As smart homes become ever more common in our digital world, they have become a favorite target for hackers around the world. We have seen SO many smart home devices compromised and then the hackers use those devices to pivot to other devices connected to the local area network such […

Welcome back, my aspiring cyberwarriors!

As smart homes become ever more common in our digital world, they have become a favorite target for hackers around the world. We have seen SO many smart home devices compromised and then the hackers use those devices to pivot to other devices connected to the local area network such as phones and laptops.

Smart home devices now include so many devices, such as;

1. Smart TV’s





2. Smart Lighting





3. Smart Garage Door Openers





4. Smart Security Systems





5. Smart Cameras





6. Smart Appliances (Refrigerators, stoves, washers, dryers, etc.)





7. Smart Picture Frames





8. Smart Infotainment Systems





9. and so many more

Each of these smart devices has a small CPU, small amount of RAM, and a Linux operating system, most commonly BusyBox, due to its very small size. These systems are very often shipped with little aforethought regarding security. This makes it relatively easy to hack these devices.

In addition, these devices are often connected to your Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or Zigbee network. Each of these network types are vulnerable to multiple attack vectors making the entire home and the devices therein vulnerable.

To learn more about Smart Home Hacking, consider attending our Smart Home Hacking training, January 13-15.

Here are the most significant security risks documented in recent research and threat reports:

Common Smart Home Vulnerabilities

• Weak or Default Credentials
  
  
  
  • Many smart home devices ship with weak, default, or hardcoded passwords, which attackers can easily guess or find online.
  
  
  
  
  
  • Credential stuffing and password reuse across multiple devices leads to widespread compromise.
  
  
  
  










• Outdated and Unpatched Firmware
  
  
  
  • A high proportion of smart devices run old firmware with known vulnerabilities and rarely receive updates or security patches, leaving them open to exploitation.
  
  
  
  
  
  • Supply chain vulnerabilities can introduce malware before devices even reach the consumer (such as Badbox 2.0).
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  





• Vulnerable Network Services and Open Ports
  
  
  
  • Devices expose unnecessary or insecure services to the local network or internet (e.g., Telnet, UPnP, poorly secured web interfaces), facilitating remote exploitation.
  
  
  
  
  
  • Automated scanning for open ports is a dominant attack method, accounting for over 93% of blocked events in recent studies.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  





• Poor Encryption and Data Protection
  
  
  
  • Many smart devices transmit sensitive data (e.g., audio, video, sensor readings) without proper encryption, enabling eavesdropping and privacy breaches.
  
  
  
  
  
  • Weak or flawed cryptographic implementations allow attackers to decrypt captured traffic or manipulate device functionality.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  





• Device Hijacking and Botnets
  
  
  
  • Attackers can take over smart devices, using them as proxies for further attacks (DDoS, ad fraud, credential theft) or as part of large-scale botnets (Mirai, EchoBot, PUMABOT).
  
  
  
  
  
  • Compromised devices may serve attacks on other systems without user awareness—sometimes even posing physical safety risks (e.g., hijacked locks or thermostats).
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  





• Privacy and Data Exposure
  
  
  
  • Insecure cameras, microphones, and voice assistants can be used for covert surveillance or to steal sensitive data.
  
  
  
  
  
  • Exposed cloud APIs and device “phone home” features can leak data to third parties or attackers.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  





• Weak Access Controls
  
  
  
  • Poor onboarding, lack of two-factor authentication, flawed pairing mechanisms, and weak authorization checks let attackers gain access to devices or sensitive controls.
  
  
  
  

Real-World Examples (2025)

• Smart TVs, streaming devices, and IP cameras are currently the most exploited categories, often running on Linux/Android with outdated kernels.





• Malicious firmware (such as BadBOX) pre-installed on consumer devices has led to huge botnets and residential proxy abuse, sometimes before devices are even plugged in by the end user.





• Large-scale privacy violations include attackers publicly streaming home camera footage due to default credentials or unpatched vulnerabilities.

Summary Table

Vulnerability Type	Example Consequence
Default/weak credentials	Easy unauthorized access
Outdated firmware	Exposure to known exploits
Open network services	Remote code execution, botnets
Poor encryption	Data interception, manipulation
Device hijacking/botnets	DDoS, fraud, lateral movement
Weak access controls	Device takeover, privacy breaches
Privacy/data exposure	Surveillance, data theft

Summary

Smart homes are becoming increasingly popular in industrialized countries particularly among higher income households. These smart homes offer the user convenience while offering an enticing target for hackers. If the attacker can compromise even one device within the home, then all of the devices on the home network are at risk!

To learn more about Smart Home Hacking and Security, consider attending our upcoming Smart Home Hacking training in January 2026.

Source: HackersArise
Source Link: https://hackers-arise.com/smart-home-hacking-getting-started/