AirBnB Hidden Cameras - Threatwire CrossPost (Patreon)

By Shannon Morse, Threatwire 

AirBnB-- inexpensive world travel or creepy spy cams galore? In the case of a family from New Zealand who was on holiday in Ireland, creepy spy cam. Upon unpacking, one of the family members staying in the AirBnB,  Andrew Barker, decided to scan the house’s WiFi network, where he found the IP of an undisclosed camera. He was able to pull up a live feed of the camera, which, from the angle of the view, he found to be hidden in a ceiling corner in the living room. He proceeded to take a photo of the camera, and snapped a family photo from the live feed, with another family member posting both on Facebook.

Barker used Android phone apps to do the network and port scans of the house WiFi. He noticed that Port 80 was open, which he was able to automatically connect to the live feed. The stream did not require any authentication and was located on the same network they had access to. Upon discovery, the family used tissue to hide the lens and later moved to a hotel. The AirBnB host told CNN that this was the only camera in the house. It’s not certain what it was used for - recording, live monitoring, or if audio was also being monitored. 

Family member Nealie Baker reported this to AirBnB, who considered it a canceled booking. They suspended the listing but later reinstated the host. During that time, the family claimed to receive several messages from other guests of this AirBnB who were staying at the house during its suspension. The host didn’t get banned until the family took to posting it on Facebook, at which time the story blew up. The family received a refund and apology from AirBnB.

AirBnB has a policy about surveillance devices. They must be disclosed even if not in use. Cameras are allowed if disclosed, but not in personal private spaces like bedrooms or bathrooms. If disclosed after a booking is made, the guest can cancel with a full refund.

Hidden cameras, if on another network or not connected, won’t show up on a local network scanner, but they can still be discoverable using lights to reflect the lens, infrared scanners, RF detectors, and thermal imagers. And if you’ve found a hidden camera in not just an AirBnB, but other types of rentals, contact law enforcement or the company in question immediately.

AirBnB Hidden Cameras:

https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2019/04/airbnb-guest-found-hidden-surveillance-camera-by-scanning-wi-fi-network/

https://sixfortwelve.wordpress.com/2019/04/06/how-to-increase-your-chances-of-finding-a-hidden-camera/?fbclid=IwAR3dZpL-qQTcbA-VL9oTIiP3z4JGNWo04z9TXx89vOz3YIQD9i2bHUQ87sw

https://www.cnn.com/2019/04/05/europe/ireland-airbnb-hidden-camera-scli-intl/index.html

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10156325018207239&set=a.440220892238&type=3&theater

https://www.airbnb.com/help/article/887/what-are-airbnb-s-rules-about-electronic-surveillance-devices-in-listings