Hackers extract data from Flock camera, exposing vehicle and pedestrian tracking

September 16, 2026 at 03:30 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

Hackers removed a Flock Safety camera, copied its storage, and recovered an encryption key, unlocking thousands of vehicle detection videos. The breach reveals the camera's software explicitly detects people, vehicles, license plates, and bicycles. The hackers shared the data with 404 Media and WIRED, which analyzed the files.

Key Facts

The hackers recovered an encryption key stored on the device, unlocking videos of thousands of vehicle detections.
The camera generated more than one million images over several weeks of recovered logs.
The software explicitly detects people as well as vehicles, license plates, and bicycles.
The hackers are from a collective calling itself stegan0gram.

Camera Breach

Hackers removed a Flock Safety camera above a roadway and made a near-complete copy of the data stored inside it. They recovered an encryption key stored on the device, which unlocked videos of thousands of vehicle detections. The hackers shared the material with 404 Media and the transparency nonprofit Distributed Denial of Secrets, which shared the data with WIRED. 404 Media and WIRED analyzed the files as part of a joint investigation.

Tracking Capabilities

The joint analysis shows that software running on the device explicitly detects people as well as vehicles, license plates, and bicycles. The camera can produce dozens of images of a single passing vehicle and generated more than a million images over several weeks of recovered logs. Its computer-vision software also sometimes isolated bumper stickers and other graphics, including an American flag patch on a motorcyclist's saddlebag.

Hacker Motivation

The hackers say they are publishing details on how they obtained the software in the hopes that other people may copy them. One hacker, from a collective calling itself stegan0gram, said: "Why just destroy them when we can reverse engineer them and find the secrets of those spying on us?" The hacker added: "We liberated hardware in the field, disarmed them, and proceeded with reverse engineering of the cameras and associated solar equipment."