Hikvision products: authentication bypass flaw under attack

What is affected

Hikvision products are the kind of equipment many homes and small offices run for years without touching: a router, camera or storage box. Attackers scan the internet for exposed units, and a hijacked one can spy on traffic or be enrolled in a botnet without any visible sign.

Multiple Hikvision products contain an improper authentication vulnerability that could allow a malicious user to escalate privileges on the system and gain access to sensitive information.

What an attacker can do

This is a authentication bypass flaw. It lets an attacker get in without a valid username and password and act as a legitimate user, often as an administrator.

How it is reached

Over the internet or network

Access the attacker needs

No account needed

Does the victim have to do something?

No, works without the victim doing anything

What to do

1. Check whether you own this device: look at the label on your router, camera or NAS, or open its admin page and note the model and firmware version.
2. Install the latest firmware from the manufacturer's support page or the device's own update menu.
3. If the manufacturer no longer releases updates for the model, replace it. An end-of-life device with an exploited flaw cannot be made safe.
4. Turn off remote administration from the internet unless you truly need it, and change the default admin password.

Apply mitigations per vendor instructions, follow applicable BOD 22-01 guidance for cloud services, or discontinue use of the product if mitigations are unavailable.

Vendor advisories and fixes

• hikvision.comwww.hikvision.com/us-en/support/document-center/special-notices/privilege-escalating-vulne

How urgent is it

CISA added this vulnerability to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalogue on March 5, 2026, which means there is reliable evidence of attacks in the wild. US federal agencies must fix it by March 26, 2026, a deadline that has already passed. That deadline does not bind anyone else, but it shows how seriously the agency rates it.

The EPSS model estimates a 100% probability that this flaw will be exploited somewhere in the next 30 days. That is higher than 100.0% of all scored vulnerabilities.

Its CVSS severity score is 9.8 out of 10 (critical), as recorded in the US National Vulnerability Database.

Technical description

An Improper Authentication issue was discovered in Hikvision DS-2CD2xx2F-I Series V5.2.0 build 140721 to V5.4.0 build 160530, DS-2CD2xx0F-I Series V5.2.0 build 140721 to V5.4.0 Build 160401, DS-2CD2xx2FWD Series V5.3.1 build 150410 to V5.4.4 Build 161125, DS-2CD4x2xFWD Series V5.2.0 build 140721 to V5.4.0 Build 160414, DS-2CD4xx5 Series V5.2.0 build 140721 to V5.4.0 Build 160421, DS-2DFx Series V5.2.0 build 140805 to V5.4.5 Build 160928, and DS-2CD63xx Series V5.0.9 build 140305 to V5.3.5 Build 160106 devices. The improper authentication vulnerability occurs when an application does not adequately or correctly authenticate users. This may allow a malicious user to escalate his or her privileges on the system and gain access to sensitive information.