Once a 'Wolpad' is hacked, control of my home falls into the hacker's hands... Citizens growing anxious

Smart Home Appliance Terminal 'Wallpad'
If Hacked, Camera and Door Lock Permissions Can Be Compromised
Experts "Home IoT Hacking Risks Warned for Years"
"Mandatory Network Segmentation in Complexes Is Urgent"

Footage of domestic wall pads reportedly posted on overseas websites mainly used by hackers / Photo by Online Community Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Ju-hyung] Citizens are trembling with anxiety as the possibility has been raised that the 'housing management terminal (wall pad),' a symbol of advanced Internet of Things (IoT) technology, may have been hacked on a large scale. A wall pad is a device that connects closed-circuit (CC) TV, door locks, lighting, heating devices, and more within a home to the internet. While wall pads have greatly increased the convenience of newly built homes, their characteristic of being connected through communication networks has become a fatal weakness. The moment a hacker hacks the wall pad, control over the entire home is completely lost.

◆Suspicions of Wall Pad Hacking in Over 700 Apartment Complexes Nationwide

A wall pad is a terminal device that allows remote control of smart home appliances. Most are wall-mounted with large displays and can manage various devices as if operating a smartphone application (app).

It is the core technology of IoT that connects smart home appliances to communication networks, enabling control anytime and anywhere, and has gained popularity in South Korea, especially in newly built homes.

However, suspicions have arisen that these wall pads have been hacked by hackers. Recently, a post titled 'Nationwide Wall Pad Hacking List' appeared on a mom caf? and other online communities.

According to the netizen who wrote this post, last month, a claim was posted on an overseas hacker website stating that wall pads in as many as 700 apartment complexes in South Korea had been hacked. The hacker posted the names of the apartment complexes where system hacking was successful, along with photos and videos presumed to be from inside Korean apartments, as evidence on the website.

It has been reported that the monthly pads of over 700 apartment complexes nationwide have been hacked, increasing citizens' anxiety. The photo shows the view of Seoul apartments from 63 Square in Yeouido, Seoul. / Photo by Yonhap News

As this fact became known domestically, anxiety spread among netizens. The Cyber Terror Investigation Unit of the National Police Agency also recently conducted on-site investigations at three apartment complexes reported to have suffered hacking damage and reportedly secured evidence of malicious programs remotely implanted in the actual systems. The investigation unit is conducting a full-scale investigation, including confirming the specific scale of damage to the homes listed on the hacking list.

◆Symbol of IoT Technology... If Security Is Breached, Private Life Fully Exposed

Citizens living in homes equipped with wall pads are trembling with anxiety. There is a risk that if the wall pad camera is hacked, private life could be exposed to hackers.

On the 8th, a resident of an apartment suspected of being hacked appeared on CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show' and said in an interview with the host, "My house is on the fourth floor, so I close all the curtains and take baths and move around freely, even in underwear. I never imagined (the wall pad hacking) would happen."

She added, "I received several calls from people around me asking, 'Did you cover the camera after the wall pad hacking at your sister's house was reported?'" and said, "It was very scary and chilling to think that someone might be watching all my private life."

On mom caf?s and other internet communities, a 'temporary measure' of covering the wall pad camera lens with stickers has been shared. However, many wall pads have lenses placed in hard-to-find locations depending on the model, and since it is unclear how severe the hacking actually is, anxiety continues.

◆Warnings About Home IoT Security Vulnerabilities Have Been Raised for Years

Concerns about wall pad hacking have actually been raised for several years. At the 'SecuInside 2015' conference held at Korea University in 2015, hacking experts demonstrated how to hack apartment wall pads and remotely control lights, entrances, cameras, and more at will.

A wall pad serving as the terminal for smart home appliances in an apartment. The photo is not related to any specific expression in the article. / Photo by Yonhap News

In the same year, research results pointing out vulnerabilities in home IoT systems were also revealed at the 'Information Security Conference 2015' (NETSEC KR 2015) hosted by the Korea Institute of Information Security & Cryptology.

At this conference, researchers disassembled wall pad devices, analyzed vulnerabilities by examining the types of semiconductors embedded in the products, and succeeded in hacking the control rights of the wall pads.

At the time, the researchers urged, "There needs to be a shift in awareness that home IoT products can become prey to hackers at any time," and called for "thorough vulnerability verification and improvements, including hardware reinforcement and packet/data encryption."

◆Experts Say Separating Apartment Networks from Internet Networks Is Urgent

Experts recommend that separating the IoT communication network within complexes from the general internet is an urgent task.

An anonymous cybersecurity industry official said, "Home IoT security vulnerabilities were already revealed in the 2015 technical demonstration. I believe it was only a matter of time before a major hacking incident occurred," adding, "Wall pad hacking involves various hacking techniques such as 'web shells' (a hacking method where malicious code is implanted on a server to gain administrator rights and steal personal information), so specific countermeasures vary, but the most urgent thing is network separation."

Experts have urged that network separation between the IoT network within homes and the internet should be made mandatory. / Photo by Yonhap News

He continued, "Usually, there would be a wall pad network within the apartment complex, and this network would be connected to the internet. Hackers hack the wall pad system through the internet network, but if the network within the complex is separated like an intranet, and when access between this intranet and the online network is needed, a specific account authentication process is required, most hacking attempts can be blocked," he advised.

In fact, on the 3rd, the Ministry of Science and ICT announced an administrative notice of partial amendments to the 'Installation and Technical Standards for Intelligent Home Network Facilities.' This amendment mandates the separation of server networks within apartment complexes. The problem is that even if this bill passes and is enforced, the network separation obligation does not apply to already built homes.

In response, experts have urged the government to provide guidance for existing homes as well. Professor Kim Seung-joo of the Graduate School of Information Security at Korea University said in an interview with CBS Radio on the 8th, "I hope the government creates a website where people can easily search for safe apartments or provides guides such as attaching photos of different wall pad types and instructions on how to cover the camera with tape."