WiFi, USB connectivity in cameras make them vulnerable to cyberattacks: Study

WiFi connectivity in digital cameras has made uploading photos a lot easier for photographers. But like most connected devices, this has also made them susceptible to cyberattacks.

A new study by cybersecurity firm Checkpoint claims that the Picture Transfer Protocol (PTP) used by modern day cameras to transfer digital images to PC is vulnerable to ransomware or malware attacks. The standard was created by International Imaging Industry Association and in the beginning it was only used for image transfer over USB but since PTP-IP came into the picture, it is used for several other tasks such as taking live photos, transferring files on cloud and upgrading camera firmware.

“Cameras are no longer just connected to the USB, but to the WiFi network and its surrounding environment. This makes them more vulnerable to threats as attackers can inject ransomware into both the camera and PC it is connected to.