Dahua DVR - HDCVI Locking up

Tondar

n3wb
Feb 26, 2025
12
1
Michigan
Hey all,

I have an older Dahua HDCVI DVR that I got in 2014. It ran great for the last 10 years but is now having problem after problem. The main CPU fan started making noise and right before I had the parts to replace it was the first time the DVR locked up. It just seemed to be offline but the fans were still on and the TV hooked to the HDMI port was showing a single camera feed but the mouse was frozen and it wouldn't respond. I had to turn off/on the power to get it back up and running. Since that time I have replaced all the fans cleaned out the dust and cleaned the contacts on the purple WD hard drive. (I'll have a separate post on the Noctua fans I installed... interesting observation). Now, it will run fine for a couple days to a week but then locks up. Some times it locks up with the buzzer on solid - this happened at 4 in the morning:angry:. Other times I don't even notice until I try to check the cameras on my phone or through PSS and there's no connection to the DVR, I go to the DVR and look at the TV connected to the HDMI port and there's nothing there like no signal to the TV and the DVR has to have the power cycled to get it back. At this point it's not a reliable system I just don't know how to find out what is happening.... any ideas/thoughts? Thank you for any help provided!!
 
1- try disconnecting it from the internet for 3-4 days

2- it’s 11 years old and cost $200 so not a huge surprise

3- have you replaced the power supply?

4- have you changed or added new cameras?
 
1- try disconnecting it from the internet for 3-4 days

2- it’s 11 years old and cost $200 so not a huge surprise

3- have you replaced the power supply?

4- have you changed or added new cameras?
1 - I can try that... what's the thinking behind this?
2 - yeah it's old... if I buy a new one though I would likely go NVR and IP cameras so not a cheap path but will do it if I have to
3 - I have not replaced the power supply but I did replace the fan inside the power supply. It does not appear to be losing power from what I can tell as the fans never turn off?
4 - No change to cameras, all HDCVI cameras

Thx for your help
 
1- hacked

2-understood. I bit that bullet a few years ago myself. Had to beg the Treasury Dept. But she finally came around

3- fan draws little power compared to cams

4- check
 
1- hacked

2-understood. I bit that bullet a few years ago myself. Had to beg the Treasury Dept. But she finally came around

3- fan draws little power compared to cams

4- check
1 - would executing a firmware update help here? wondering how to know if this has/is happening
2 - :)
3 - the cams are powered separately from the DVR
4 - not sure what to do here, I can review all the setting in the DVR? unplug the cameras and see if it still happens?
 
The cams are powered separately but the DVR itself draws more juice than just the fan. Power supply dying at 11 years would be the 2nd thing I check beyond being hacked and someone streaming the video and overtaxing the DVR bandwidth capabilities.

FW wont necessarily change the hack situation.

Are you port forwarding to see cameras remotely? Thats the #1 way they get hacked.

yes you could try removing a couple of cameras and see if it makes a difference, with it being analog and separate power supply, I kinda doubt it.
 
The cams are powered separately but the DVR itself draws more juice than just the fan. Power supply dying at 11 years would be the 2nd thing I check beyond being hacked and someone streaming the video and overtaxing the DVR bandwidth capabilities.

FW wont necessarily change the hack situation.

Are you port forwarding to see cameras remotely? Thats the #1 way they get hacked.

yes you could try removing a couple of cameras and see if it makes a difference, with it being analog and separate power supply, I kinda doubt it.
Good advice on the power supply, how can I check if I'm being hacked? I am port forwarding for remote monitoring.
 
Unplug from the Interweb #1 and see if it has an effect

You can also look at the logs and see what they show happening around the time of the problem and check the "accounts" and see if there are any there you dont recognize.
 
Update:

I reviewed the logs and see nothing to suggest a hacking. That being said, I unplugged the ethernet cable from the DVR and it ran fine for 4 days. I started thinking maybe this was the answer but then i heard the buzzer go off, the DVR had shutdown. Interesting though, it seemed to restart and function again on its own. This happened again yesterday. The logs of these shutdowns are useless, they don't say anything. I see a S.M.A.R.T. info entry after the shutdowns that say everything is OK in the status fields. I guess I should try the power supply next.. any recommendations for replacing the supply? I see on Amazon a "Best Parts" power supply that is supposed to be compatible. Ebay has the exact Delta DPS-75VB B from various "direct from China" sources.
Thx again for the help!!
 
2nd update:

I replaced the power supply and hooked back up to the internet, locked up a day later :angry:!! Unplugged the ethernet cable and it hasn't shut down since, I have no idea what is going on, I don't see anything in the logs suggesting hacking but not sure what I should see? Is there anything I can look at on the router to see what's happening?
 
I can't be sure but thats what it sounds like.

Are you port forwarding to see cameras remotely? Thats the #1 way they get hacked.
Important to know how its setup for remote access.
If you are port forwarding, that setting would be in your router. If so, it needs to be removed

Logs may or may not show a login at a time when you KNOW you didnt. Probably by "Admin"
Router wont be much help unless you can read the logs and coincide with the time of the login.

There should be a factory reset in the NVR web GUI somewhere. That may temporarily kick them out but if you are port forwarding they'll just do it again,
 
If you don't have another way to access it remotely, what does connecting it back to the router accomplish other than bringing the problem again if it is some backdoor vulnerability they are exploiting.

As suggested, turn off port forwarding. I would even go so far as to unhooking the router and hope it gives you a different WAN IP.

Then factory reset the NVR and start over.
 
I don't have any reason other than to change one thing at a time? I will try to update the firmware on the DVR though it's so old I can't even find it on the dahua wiki.
 
As long as you keep port forwarding on, it is easy to get into it.

But depending on who got in, who knows WTF else they did in that device that you may never see from a log.
 
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I turned off the port forwarding. I will do a factory reset as well. I remember now the last time I tried to find firmware it was a mess. I bought the DVR from GenIV Technology, they sent me to the dahua wiki which didn't have it. I contacted dahua where I was told I bought grey market as they couldn't identify my model either, I got ping ponged around and just gave up. Unfortunate as this DVR has been rock solid for 10 years, oh well
 
You dont need to update FW. It wont fix anything.

Too many people are infatuated with FW thinking its some magic fairy dust. Its not. Dont update until the update says it fixes a specific problem you have.

FW isn't likely your problem unless its been doing this from day #1
 
Check the system logs. Typically a random lockup / reboot is hard drive or power supply related.

Power supply more so if you have an external brick (typical 12VDC / 3-5 Amp). A bad power supply can mimic a failing hard drive since the hard drive is powered by the motherboard and not the power supply directly. If the board isn't getting enough power it will starve the drive(s) of power.

Here are a few reboot codes:

0x00: The DVR has rebooted normally, probably due to a maintenance routine or it was just a user reboot for any other reason.

0x01: Abnormal reboot due to some issue with power loss, system crash, or another type of problem that is not related to the normal operation.
Resolution: Examine the outlet, adapter, UPS, and any other components that might impact the unit's power supply. Verify that the appropriate voltage is being applied.

0x02: The system log is stuck.
Resolution: Clear the DVR's log

0x03: This error code is related to issues with the speed of the hard drive, which means the DVR can't read and write into the disc as fast as it used to do.
Resolution: Ensure you're using a hard drive recommended for CCTV and review its condition. Navigate to the storage settings and check the HDD Mgmt section to inspect for any errors.

0x04: Abnormal recording, some channels are not recording due to video loss. Indicates over 3 minutes with no stream on the recording channel.
Resolution: Ensure that all cameras are fully powered and functioning correctly. Additionally, inspect the camera cables and connectors for any issues.

0x05: Bad track, The hard drive has a bad track which compromises the read/write capability of the DVR.
Resolution: Replace the hard drive

0x06: Video decoding abnormal.
Resolution: You might be exceeding the SoC GPU video decoding capability. Try lowering the resolution of the display output then lower the resolution, fps, & bit rate of your camera streams to test.

0x06a: Video storage abnormal.
Resolution: Probably a failing hard drive. It is recommended to replace it. A unit from 2014 won't have the ability to check the drive for any bad sectors.

0x06F: Restart caused by illegal access to memory. Security feature reboot for backend failed access.
Resolution: Identify which devices are logging into the recorder and, if necessary, modify the settings or credentials to prevent unauthorized access by the device.

0x011: A hard drive hot swapping issue/Disk Problem.
Resolution: Replace the hard drive