Own this video doorbell? Take it down now

Think twice before buying that dirt-cheap, no-name video doorbell on Amazon. 

A lengthy exposé from Consumer Reports reveals that major retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, and Sears are selling thousands of “cheap” but “insecure” video doorbells that are rife with “egregious” security holes. 

The doorbells, sold under such brands as Eken, Tuck, Fishbot, and Rakeblue, can leave users wide open to attack, allowing hackers to hijack the devices, spy on the owner’s comings and goings, and even grab their IP addresses and Wi-Fi credentials, according to the Consumer Reports story. 

This news story is part of TechHive’s in-depth coverage of the best video doorbells.

The shoddy video doorbells spotted by Consumer Reports represent only “a drop in the flood of cheap, insecure electronics” from China that are widely available in U.S. retails channels, the publication says. 

Several of the doorbells mentioned by Consumer Reports are still available on Amazon, including an Eken doorbell that’s currently selling for less than $30. 

The story describes in hair-raising detail how an attacker could simply walk up to one of these vulnerable doorbells, put it into pairing mode with the push of a button, and then take control of it with a mobile app.  

Even after the rightful owner of the doorbell regained control of the doorbell, the attacker would still have access to the doorbell’s video feed, Consumer Reports says. 

Of course, retailers such as Amazon bear some of the responsibility for allowing these dangerously insecure doorbells to remain available on their digital storefronts.  

Some of the devices have even earned “overall pick” badges on Amazon—although as Consumer Reports points out, most Amazon’s Choice awards are picked by algorithms rather than people. 

So, what can shoppers do? Steering clear of no-name doorbell and security camera brands is a good place to start, as well as being leery of video doorbells that cost less than a streaming movie purchase. 

Among the security cam brands we do trust include Amazon’s Blink and Ring, TP-Link’s Tapo, Google’s Nest, and Logitech, and you’ll find our favorite models for those brands among our top picks for video doorbells. 

But if you’re circling a video doorbell from a brand you’ve never heard of that’s priced for a song, well, buyer beware. 

And if you own any of the suspect video doorbells named in the Consumer Reports story, take them down ASAP.