Major Flaw - Delete Homebase data via camera

I received an update to my HomeBase 2 but it doesn’t mention anything. Not sure if it has anything to do with patching this flaw…

Nope. They haven’t fixed it. In order to fix this flaw, they would need to update the Homebase, all cams, doorbells, sensors and keypads. The fact that I haven’t heard anything from them on this flaw since early May doesn’t fill me with hope. At that time they said it would take 2 to 3 months to fix. That was after an initial 2 to 3 months where they said it was working by design and refused to acknowledge the problem.

Eufy support has some of the worst communications I have ever seen in a support organization. They don’t even get back to users when they fix something. I have had several tickets submitted where they fixed the problem, but didn’t include it in their firmware notes or get back to me to confirm that the problem was fixed.

8 Likes

I agree a big concern. But these cameras hit all the right checkboxes for me otherwise. I will wait for a patch and hope that the crooks in my area will not be savvy about eufy specific security flaws, and that I will have time to download any video evidence. I don’t know about everywhere else, but the guys in my area are focused on Trucks, yard ornaments, fedex packages and mail. They are also pretty dumb, and don’t seem to care too much about being on camera while they steal your stuff…

1 Like

Lots more #eufyflawed on their official Twitter page. Join in guys.

Make your discontent known.

5 Likes

Can NE1 confirm if this wipes video of folks who have cloud accounts? I’m wondering if Eufy won’t fix this to get folks to pay for their cloud subscription? Most folks picked Eufy because of the ability to store locally - I’ll jump to a different system before I pay them for a cloud subscription!

2 Likes

Hi guys!

Not sure if this is totally right thread to post in, but since it has some of the issues stated here, ill give it a try:

A few months ago I took down all of my eufcam2 cameras (three) along with my Homebase 2. Yesterday I was going to review/download some of the recordings on the Homebase2 as the storage section in the iOS app on the Homebase2 says that i have 8GB of clips.

This did not work, neither from the iOS app, web or the MacOS app.

So today I read this whole thread and to me (and from your experience) it seems like you need to have the cameras connected to the Homebase in order to view the videos. Luckily the cameras were still paired with the Homebase, so I just charged them and they connected just fine.

The problem is now that I can’t find any of the clips, they are showing. I went back to the date when I first put the system online and I could not see any of the clips from that period. Just 2 random clips a few months in and some events connected to my door sensor. Even tho (as Ive said) I have 8GB of clips and over 20k motions that has been recorded.

If someone has any input on this, or if this is a “feature” rather than a bug, please tell me :slight_smile:

Your post doesn’t relate to the flaw being discussed.

Some months back Eufy implemented a “feature” in all devices that erases all clips over 3 months old. Supposedly, this was done to meet requirements of EU data law, but they did it for everyone and didn’t tell anyone. You can’t go back and reclaim any of those clips. Because of that, I make a habit of reviewing my data at least once a week downloading anything I want to keep and wiping the rest.

The lack of communication with users is really astounding. Not only do they not tell users when they make changes, they don’t listen to user feedback. Support is another black hole.
While I still have a lot of Eufy gear, I’m actively looking to replace all of it as quickly as possible.

4 Likes

First of all, thank you for writing this even tho as you said its off topic.

The strange thing is that the iOS app still says I have the clips on my Homebase2… I need to find the source of what you are telling me. I will start a new thread and see if I can get some info on this topic.

Thanks

(edit: This is the new thread if anyone wants to follow up on the subject)

I never knew this was an issue until now. People can delete your video then associate your cam with another homebase? This is very concerning and will have an impact on my next security cam purchase.

3 Likes

I was just about to buy a number of Eufy products but this thread has changed my mind. Please Eufy fix this or respond and I might re-consider. A security products company not addressing something like this is astonishing.

6 Likes

I just read about this issue and wasn’t aware of it before today. It’s crazy that this bug could have ever existed.

My HomeBase 2 recently got an update for “1. Fix the existing BUG and improve system stability”. It’s on System Version 2.1.8.5h and Subsystem Version 1.3.0.9. (Not sure what’s the difference between System and Subsystem.) Not sure if this is the most recent update either as I understand Eufy does rolling updates so products get automatically updated at different times.

Does anyone know if the issue has been fixed in this update (or newer one if there’s one out there)? Unfortunately, I don’t want to test the issue on my cameras as I want to keep my current recordings and not risk losing them.

2 Likes

You are on the latest Homebase update and no they haven’t fixed the major flaw. I have given up hope that anythng will ever get done about this unless they get taken to court. Its been almost 10 months since this flaw was first discovered and nothing but stalling and “we are working on it” from Eufy. They had a partial fix rolled out, but then rolled it back and never communicated anything to those of us that had tickets.

This is fixable but they obviously would rather keep rolling out new crap with the same flaws and ignoring their customers. The only solution is vote with your feet and don’t buy any more Eufy gear until they fix it.

4 Likes

Thank you to @preset and rhy33 for your efforts on this.

Your thorough analysis of the issue and painstaking follow up with Eufy has saved me from this terrible product.

I purchased it today and will be returning it tomorrow.

I did hours and hours of research before my purchase and never saw mention of this issue until I installed the app on my phone and found the thread here.

As a Product Manager for a major electronics company, I can truly appreciate your efforts here. Shame on Eufy for their lack of urgency, follow up, and follow through.

Thanks

5 Likes

I’m wondering if the anti theft alarm feature on the cameras can help mitigate the issue. Is it easy to press the sync button without triggering the alarm?

I guess the other thing to hope for is “security by obscurity”. Maybe most criminals aren’t up to speed on this major issue and won’t take the time to recognize a eufy camera and how to exploit it.

Another thing is that most cameras are placed high enough to require a ladder to get to. But I guess criminals could try to knock down the camera first and then delete recording using the sync button.

Unfortunately, I’m pretty heavily invested in the Eufy ecosystem of indoor/outdoor cameras. Are there any other battery powered wireless cameras that have local recording that’s not stored on the camera but on something like a HomeBase? That’s pretty much the main reason why I originally went with Eufy (at least for their outdoor cameras).

@dslai The anti-theft feature can help, but if the individual knows what they’re doing…then in 10 seconds everything they did will be erased. If this is done in the middle of the night, you’ll wake up to a stolen camera and no footage. :man_facepalming:t2:

Like you, I have invested heavily in Eufy’s products and am disappointed that they have not fixed this issue. I griped about this major flaw since last January and it was escalated by others…but in Eufy’s usual fashion, not much accountability. However, they will continue to flood the market with more items instead of fixing something like this.

2 Likes

“Are there any other battery powered wireless cameras that have local recording that’s not stored on the camera but on something like a HomeBase?”

I’m currently testing Arlo Pro 4 (which doesn’t require a hub but only stores to cloud if no hub used) and I can confirm that they have their smart hubs as well. The videos are stored on the hub if no cloud subscription is active. Their system is far from perfect too but at least they don’t suffer from this pretty much catastrophic “feature”.

I still got 2,5 months left on my free cloud subscription there and once that runs out, I need to decide whether to dump Arlo all together or either buy the hub or start paying for the cloud. I’d prefer eufy but if they can’t even fix this “reset issue” I’m pretty sure they won’t fix other bugs/issues either.

So I have sent an email request about this issue at https://support.eufylife.com/s/emailcontactus. I had to specify the inquiry type to be Feedback as choosing “Need Help with My Product” wouldn’t allow me to complete the request (some problem with their web site). I’m curious what their response will be, and I hope everyone who cares about this issue does the same.

Reading thru this thread, I see that @preset had created an email request before on this issue. @preset, can you share what was the last response Eufy sent you about your support request? Wondering if you followed up to see what they had to say after implying that a fix would be ready in several months.

I just bought eufy’s one-stop home security solution kit, their battery video doorbell and 2x eufycam 2 in a black friday deal. After reading this thread I will be returning all products. Their lack of care and communication is mind boggling.

3 Likes

The last response I got is posted in this thread along with the ticket number. After the last excuse that they needed more time 5 or 6 months after their fix was due, I quit checking. I assumed that they were just stringing the issue out , hoping it would go away. They never communicated what they were doing and when I tested one of their newer cams that had the same issue, I gave up.

3 Likes

I’m so disappointed. After researching for weeks I finally made the decision to purchase the S40 and a set of 2c Pro cameras and home-base today, only to come across a thread about this by chance at the last minute. I’m glad I did. I was about to invest a lot of money in something with such a critical flaw, and I can see that you have all been working at trying to get a resolution for nearly a year, which is not cool for an issue so critical. Thanks to everyone who has been championing this battle, and sorry to those who have already invested - I hope your campaigning here, via tickets, and on social media pays off very soon. I will not be purchasing and now have to find something else that appears as good. What a simple mistake for them to have made…

Best competitors in the wire-free space? Anyone?

1 Like