Schneier iconSchneierSep 21, 2026 ~5 min source read

What hackers learned when they tore down a Flock ALPR camera

Files recovered from a physically captured Flock automatic license plate reader show the device records far more than plates, stores huge volumes of imagery, and contained an encryption key on an unencrypted partition.

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Useful takeaways from this story.

Devices can capture dozens of images of a single passing vehicle and, in recovered logs, produced over a million images.

An unencrypted partition contained the key to an encrypted partition, allowing access to most recorded footage.

Recovered imagery sometimes isolated non-plate graphics (bumper stickers, patches), creating additional privacy risk.

The useful part

Schneier on Security Home Blog Reverse-Engineering Flock Cameras Hackers captured a Flock camera and got a look (alternate link) at the software: The camera can produce dozens of images of a single passing vehicle and, according to several weeks of recovered logs, generated more than a million images. Its computer-vision software also sometimes isolated bumper stickers and other graphics, including, in one case, an American flag patch on a motorcyclist's saddlebag.

How it works

  • If you're wondering how the hackers got by disk encryption, one of the unencrypted partitions contained the key for an encrypted partition.
  • Worse any one with Flock access will be able to track backwards to where the road users originated and who they are.
  • https://www.aclu.org/issues/privacy-technology/surveillance-technologies/stingray-tracking-devices After landing on the above page, tried clicking on the main story titled: "Stingray Tracking Devices:
  • While much of the automatic license plate reader's (ALPR) most sensitive storage remained encrypted and inaccessible, the joint analysis of the recovered data shows that software running on the device...
  • Such news I hope is going to probably finally hit even the dimmest of those "Folks on The Hill" that every single road user that turns up to their homes no matter what the time of day will be recorded and...

What to take from it

Go slap yr parents for not raising a decent human being because littering public spaces the way u do it is not decent. This is the true epidemic of our modern societies, mememememe, screaming for attention in public cause u didn't get any at home. DBA • September 22, 2026 2:13 PM I am encouraged by recent stories that Flock corporate is offering buy-outs and looking at layoffs due to the number of cities cancelling contracts.

Example or evidence

  • The "blackmail potential" of Flock and others who can "get access to the images" will be enormously persuasive… [1] There are a lot of articles so I won't bother with a link.
  • Tags: AI, cameras, cars, reverse engineering Posted on September 21, 2026 at 10:37 AM • 10 Comments Comments Anonymous • September 21, 2026 10:46 AM Screw the Mudd-Slimeys.
  • Clive Robinson • September 21, 2026 1:51 PM @ Bruce, ALL, With regards, "… one of the unencrypted partitions contained the key for an encrypted partition.
  • I looked at a video of a Flock camera getting physically stripped down to see what hardware it used.

Details worth keeping

That's pretty bad security engineering." But is it really surprising? I was not impressed, to be blunt much of it was low cost "not made in the USA" type stuff. So when you know what it is for one you know what it is for others… I guess we will have to wait for a full breakdown on that.

Related coverage

  • Mashable: Hackers pulled a Flock camera off a pole, cracked its encryption, and revealed exactly how it tracks vehicles and people.
  • Theblaze: Flock cameras are having a hard time identifying some objects and mistaking them for license plates.
  • Wired: A hacker collective pulled down a Flock camera and dumped its data. The files included thousands of videos and logs showing that the device captured 1.6 million images of 50,000 vehicles in 21 days.
  • Arstechnica: One hacked camera captured 1.6 million images and could detect people as well as cars.
  • Blogspot: Misc Miscellaneous category. No Placement. A lot a great resin crafts. <img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-ori...

More context around this story.

Misc
Blogspot iconBlogspotSep 10, 2026

Misc

Misc Miscellaneous category. No Placement. A lot a great resin crafts. <img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-ori...

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