South Korean Police Arrest Four Suspects in 120,000 IP Camera Breach

South Korean police arrested four individuals who allegedly compromised over 120,000 IP cameras in separate operations. At least two suspects stole video footage from locations including gynecology clinics, edited the material into pornographic content, and sold it online.

Per local media reports, two suspects worked in offices while the other two were unemployed or self-employed. Authorities have not disclosed names.

Two arrestees accounted for most of the compromised devices: one breached approximately 63,000 cameras and another compromised 70,000 cameras installed in private homes and commercial properties. The suspects sold stolen footage on a website police identify only as "Website C," earning 35 million won ($23,800) and 18 million won ($12,200) respectively.

The remaining two suspects hacked 15,000 and 136 cameras respectively.

Police have not yet filed charges as the investigation continues. Authorities arrested three buyers of the illegal videos.

"IP camera crimes cause serious trauma to victims. We will eradicate this threat by actively investigating such crimes," said Park Woo-hyun, head of the Cyber Investigation Unit of South Korea's National Police Agency.

The attackers primarily exploited weak default passwords and easily guessed default combinations, according to police. Law enforcement officers visited 58 locations where cameras were compromised to inform device owners and provide password security guidance.