Flock Cameras: Hacked! Encryption Key FOUND on Device! #shorts

Our Take

NomadicIT's teardown is a reminder that Flock's pitch — 'trust us, it's encrypted and secure' — is a claim, not a guarantee. If a hobbyist with basic tools can pull a key off the device, that's not a hypothetical risk anymore, it's a demonstrated one. These cameras sit on poles in thousands of towns, slurping up plate data, location, and timestamps on every passing car, and that data is only as safe as the weakest link in the hardware and the vendor's response to it.

This matters beyond the techy details. Mass ALPR networks are sold to city councils as a public-safety slam dunk, but security vulnerabilities turn that pitch upside down: a compromised camera or extractable key could mean unauthorized access to driver movement data, tampering with evidence chains, or worse. Local governments rarely have the technical staff to independently verify vendor security claims, which means residents are left trusting a private company's assurances about a system that tracks their daily movements.

We don't take sides on whether this particular exploit is catastrophic or minor — that's for security researchers to hash out — but it's exactly the kind of finding that should slow down every city considering a new Flock contract. Credit to NomadicIT for doing the hands-on work most of us can't. If you want to see whether these cameras are already watching your commute, check our camera map, and if your town is debating a contract, our take-action page has tools to push back.