Ask HN: Self-hosted open source IP security cameras? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: Self-hosted open source IP security cameras?

#41

Post by voakbasda » Sat, Mar 05, 2022, 6:17 PM UTC

bradknowles wrote: post #22

dervjd wrote: post #14

Once you step up from consumer level (Nest/Ring/Wyze) cameras, you'll find that nearly every IP camera supports the standard RTSP/ONVIF format. They don't need any internet access to function. Standard practice is to secure them by using a dedicated VLAN (so they can't talk to anything else on your network) and default deny firewall rules (so they can't get to the Internet or other parts of your network). It's defini…

The issue here is that HikVision is a Chinese company, and they have been widely known to supply equipment to the government to aid in the suppression of the Uighur people. Same with Dahua. The next problem is that both these companies operate under a very wide array of brands, hundreds if not thousands of names, some of which you might recognize and may have thought that they were separate. Lorex is one such brand.…

As an embedded engineer, I wonder if it would be possible for me to become a VAR for one of those Chinese companies, such that I could get enough of their hardware specs to do a full-featured clean room implementation of the firmware that then could be released as open source. I don’t want to make hardware, but I could build out a Yocto-based distribution. Or has someone already done this?

Re: Ask HN: Self-hosted open source IP security cameras?

#42

Post by voakbasda » Sat, Mar 05, 2022, 6:22 PM UTC

dervjd wrote: post #14

Once you step up from consumer level (Nest/Ring/Wyze) cameras, you'll find that nearly every IP camera supports the standard RTSP/ONVIF format. They don't need any internet access to function. Standard practice is to secure them by using a dedicated VLAN (so they can't talk to anything else on your network) and default deny firewall rules (so they can't get to the Internet or other parts of your network). It's defini…

I have never accepted the “separate VLAN” approach as safe. You must assume those devices are actively hostile, so you must maintain perfect security and constant vigilance.

To borrow an idea I first heard uttered about male birth control: it makes less sense to put on a bulletproof vest than it does to take the bullets out of the gun.

Why allow hostile devices on your network at all? How does this not end up with you eventually shooting yourself in the foot?

Re: Ask HN: Self-hosted open source IP security cameras?

#43

Post by voakbasda » Sat, Mar 05, 2022, 6:42 PM UTC

tedchs wrote: post #17

Check out the Pine Cube: https://www.pine64.org/cube/

Looks like they are out of stock, but this seems to have potential. Unfortunately, it uses components listed as end-of-life and support has not been fully mainlined.

Re: Ask HN: Self-hosted open source IP security cameras?

#44

Post by bradknowles » Sat, Mar 05, 2022, 7:01 PM UTC

voakbasda wrote: post #41

bradknowles wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The issue here is that HikVision is a Chinese company, and they have been widely known to supply equipment to the government to aid in the suppression of the Uighur people. Same with Dahua. The next problem is that both these companies operate under a very wide array of brands, hundreds if not thousands of names, some of which you might recognize and may have thought that they were separate. Lorex is one such brand.…

As an embedded engineer, I wonder if it would be possible for me to become a VAR for one of those Chinese companies, such that I could get enough of their hardware specs to do a full-featured clean room implementation of the firmware that then could be released as open source. I don’t want to make hardware, but I could build out a Yocto-based distribution. Or has someone already done this?

I think that is basically what Wyze has done, only they haven't released their firmware.

There are open source versions of firmware for Wyze/Dahua cameras, but I believe they include major components that are just black boxes from the OEM. I don't know how much of that you would be able to reverse Engineer in a clean room.

Re: Ask HN: Self-hosted open source IP security cameras?

#45

Post by bradknowles » Sat, Mar 05, 2022, 7:02 PM UTC

spacexsucks wrote: post #35

bradknowles wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The issue here is that HikVision is a Chinese company, and they have been widely known to supply equipment to the government to aid in the suppression of the Uighur people. Same with Dahua. The next problem is that both these companies operate under a very wide array of brands, hundreds if not thousands of names, some of which you might recognize and may have thought that they were separate. Lorex is one such brand.…

Thank you for those links. I tried avoiding Danua and Hikvision. I went with Amcrest, only to find it on the Danua list. :( Luckily i only spent $150 for 3 cameras

Yeah, when I saw Amcrest on the list, I figured out that something like that might have happened.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news!