Israeli officials say Iran exploiting security cameras to guide missile strikes

Israeli officials are urging citizens to disconnect internet-connected security cameras, warning that Iran may be exploiting them to gather real-time intelligence and adjust missile targeting.

Former Israeli cybersecurity official Refael Franco said in a public radio interview last week that Iranian actors have been attempting to access private surveillance systems in recent days to evaluate the impact of their strikes.

“We know that in the past two or three days, the Iranians have been trying to connect to cameras to understand what happened and where their missiles hit to improve their precision,” Franco said, without providing specific evidence.

A spokesperson for Israel’s National Cyber Directorate confirmed to Bloomberg that CCTV systems have increasingly become a target for Iran’s cyber operations. Earlier this month, Israel banned government officials from using any devices connected to public internet or telecom networks due to fears of hacking and surveillance.

Surveillance cameras are an attractive espionage tool in modern warfare. In other conflicts, including the ongoing war in Ukraine, CCTV systems have been exploited to monitor troop movements, air defense positions and critical infrastructure. Cybersecurity researchers frequently report vulnerabilities in various brands of internet-connected cameras. In some cases, years-old unpatched bugs give hackers access to the devices.

In January, Ukrainian authorities reported dismantling two surveillance cameras in Kyiv that had allegedly been compromised by Russian intelligence. Investigators said the attackers gained remote access, adjusted camera angles, and streamed sensitive footage online.

In a separate case, Ukraine’s security service (SBU) detained a local citizen accused of installing surveillance cameras near strategic facilities on behalf of Russia’s military intelligence agency, the GRU. Authorities said the man had been recruited via Telegram with promises of easy money.

Similar concerns have surfaced in Russia. Last August, Moscow’s interior ministry warned civilians in border regions to stop using surveillance cameras, claiming Ukrainian forces were exploiting unsecured systems to collect intelligence on roads and military sites.