Internet-connected security cameras and webcams around the world are increasingly being hacked and turned into military intelligence tools, allowing countries including Israel, Iran, Russia, and Ukraine to monitor troop movements, track targets, and assess attacks, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday.
The growing threat has emerged across multiple conflicts, including those involving Israel and Iran and Russia and Ukraine, as governments and hackers exploit vulnerabilities in devices originally intended to protect homes, businesses, and public spaces.
According to the report, an estimated 1.2 billion internet-connected cameras operate worldwide, creating an enormous network of potential intelligence-gathering devices. Many are inadequately secured, making them attractive targets for cyber operations.
One incident highlighted in the investigation involved a poultry farmer in northern Israel who discovered that the language settings on a camera overlooking his chicken coop had unexpectedly changed to Arabic during the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran earlier this year.
The farmer contacted the Israel National Cyber Directorate, which determined that hackers had compromised the Chinese-made device. The camera's position provided a view of Israeli security activity near the Lebanese border, giving the intruders potential access to military intelligence rather than simply images of the farm.
The directorate subsequently helped the farmer improve the camera's security and change its viewing angle to prevent the surveillance of military operations, according to the WSJ.
Civilian surveillance becomes military intelligence
The incident illustrates a growing challenge for military and civilian cybersecurity authorities: Cameras installed for routine security purposes can become intelligence assets when hostile actors access them.
In Israel, the threat has already prompted warnings from the National Cyber Directorate about the vulnerability of residential and commercial surveillance equipment.
During the June 2025 Israel-Iran war, the directorate urged homeowners and businesses to secure their cameras, warning that hostile actors could exploit compromised devices to gather intelligence and identify security vulnerabilities.
The agency identified weak passwords, outdated software, and cameras directly exposed to the internet as common security weaknesses.
Israel National Cyber Directorate chief Yossi Karadi subsequently revealed that Iran had infiltrated parking and road cameras during the June conflict to monitor the movements of prominent Israelis.
Speaking at a cybersecurity conference in December 2025, Karadi said Iranian hackers had sought to track Israeli figures for potential attacks.
He also disclosed that Iranian operatives had accessed a street camera overlooking the Weizmann Institute of Science in Rehovot shortly before an Iranian ballistic missile struck the institute during the conflict.
The incident demonstrated how compromised surveillance systems could potentially contribute to both intelligence collection and the assessment of military strikes.
In March 2026, Karadi again warned about Iranian efforts to compromise Israeli surveillance cameras, describing the devices as a valuable intelligence-gathering resource. He said the directorate had blocked 50 camera-hacking attempts that could have enabled broader network intrusions.
Israel also exploited Iranian surveillance networks
The intelligence value of compromised cameras works both ways.
Israel reportedly infiltrated Tehran's traffic camera network to monitor senior Iranian officials and collect information used in planning military operations against the Islamic Republic.
According to a Financial Times investigation published in March, Israeli intelligence agencies used hacked traffic cameras and artificial intelligence to establish patterns of movement among senior Iranian figures ahead of the operation that killed then-supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
The reported operation demonstrated the potential military value of combining widely available surveillance infrastructure with advanced data-processing capabilities.
Rather than relying exclusively on satellites, reconnaissance aircraft, or intelligence operatives, security services can potentially exploit networks that already monitor streets, intersections, and buildings.
Iranian officials have publicly acknowledged concerns about foreign access to the country's surveillance infrastructure.
In November 2025, Gholamreza Jalali, then head of Iran's Passive Defense Organization, alleged that Israel and the US were exploiting Tehran's surveillance systems for intelligence operations.
Jalali claimed that foreign code had been discovered in Iranian systems that redirected camera footage to external servers. The allegations were not independently verified.
Russia, Ukraine exploit the same vulnerabilities
The WSJ investigation also described how Russia and Ukraine have used compromised surveillance systems to obtain battlefield intelligence.
According to the report, both sides have exploited cameras to monitor military activity and improve their understanding of enemy positions and operations.
The same vulnerabilities extend beyond active battlefields. Russian-linked cyber actors have reportedly targeted surveillance cameras in European countries to monitor military movements.
The widespread availability of internet-connected cameras creates opportunities for intelligence collection far from conventional military installations.
Artificial intelligence can increase the usefulness of compromised video networks by helping operators process large amounts of footage, identify relevant activity, and recognize patterns that would otherwise require extensive manual monitoring.
Security warnings for camera owners
Cybersecurity specialists warn that many connected cameras are installed without adequate safeguards or ongoing technical maintenance.
Unlike computers and smartphones, which often receive regular security attention, cameras may operate for years with outdated firmware, weak login credentials, or insufficient protection against unauthorized access.
The growing number of cameras connected to private and commercial networks also creates potential entry points for attacks extending beyond the devices themselves.
Israeli cyber authorities have recommended replacing default passwords with strong, unique credentials, enabling two-factor authentication where available, installing security updates, and monitoring devices for unauthorized access.
The risks are especially high near military facilities, transportation routes, government installations, and other sensitive locations, where a seemingly ordinary camera may capture operationally valuable information.
As warfare increasingly combines conventional military operations with cyberattacks and digital intelligence collection, the WSJ investigation underscores how civilian surveillance infrastructure has become another contested element of modern conflict.