According to the police, three out of four suspects have been arrested, who acted independently of each other. They targeted Wi-Fi connected cameras used for security or monitoring children and pets.
The hackers exploited vulnerabilities in the camera systems, such as simple passwords based on repeating characters, which allowed them to access the video recordings. In particular, they hacked cameras in karaoke bars, pilates studios, and gynecological clinics, as reported by BBC News.
One of the accused, according to the investigation, was able to hack 63,000 devices and created 545 units of sexual content, which were sold on an unspecified foreign website for 35 million Korean won (approximately 20,500 euros). The second suspect breached the security of about 70,000 cameras and sold 648 files to the same site for 18 million won (around 10,500 euros).
According to the police, the recordings provided by two of the suspects accounted for about 62% of the total number of videos posted on the mentioned site over the past year. South Korean authorities have reached out to international partners to request the blocking of this resource.
The third suspect hacked about 15,000 devices, while the fourth hacked only 136. The police established that the latter were not involved in the distribution or sale of the stolen videos.
According to an official police statement, the hackers carried out more than 148,000 hacks of cameras; however, the press release states that "more than 120,000" devices were affected. The reasons for this discrepancy remain unclear; it is possible that different perpetrators may have repeatedly attacked the same camera.
