Step by step firmware upgrade steps for grey market DS-2CD2135F-IWS available?

R

reni wren

n3wb
Nov 26, 2017
7
0
It looks like my DS-2CD2135F-IWS cameras have been factory reset by the backdoor hack as when I set them up they get switched back to default within a few minutes!

They seem to be on a 5.3 firmware version so I think I need to upgrade to the 5.4.5 firmware to plug the hole so have been reading about mtd hacks and things like this but I am unsure what to actually do and I am pretty tech savvy so is there a proper step by step guide I can follow anywhere?
 
Presumably you have exposed the cameras to access from the internet?
That's a very high-risk configuration, backdoor or not - the rest of the devices and data on your LAN are vulnerable to exploits.
Maybe consider a VPN as a safer alternative to just opening the network up to the bad guys.

reni wren said:
They seem to be on a 5.3 firmware version so I think I need to upgrade to the 5.4.5 firmware to plug the hole so have been reading about mtd hacks and things like this but I am unsure what to actually do and I am pretty tech savvy so is there a proper step by step guide I can follow anywhere?
Click to expand...
The way forward for updates depends on whether the cameras were sold as 'updateable', or whether they are running 'hacked to English' firmware on China region cameras.
What's your understanding of the origin of the cameras?
 
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Bought the cameras from AliExpress so I think at the time it was said they cannot be updated with newer firmware.

Also how else can I access the cameras remotely on my phone etc if I don't open them up to the internet and if I go the VPN route how would that work from my phone?
 
Since you have a G1 camera, you are stuck with the camera at that firmware level until someone like Montecrypto or Alastair come up with a hack to allow it to be upgraded. So, take Alastair's advice and disable port forwarding on your router, disable upnp on your camera, and use a vpn to access your cameras from outside your LAN.

Or junk the camera and buy an english upgradeable camera off aliexpress.

Those are your options.
 
Tolting Colt Acres said:
Since you have a G1 camera, you are stuck with the camera at that firmware level until someone like Montecrypto or Alastair come up with a hack to allow it to be upgraded. So, take Alastair's advice and disable port forwarding on your router, disable upnp on your camera, and use a vpn to access your cameras from outside your LAN.

Or junk the camera and buy an english upgradeable camera off aliexpress.

Those are your options.
Click to expand...

Hmmmmm, I thought all the cameras could be upgraded?
Did not see anything anywhere to say that some of them could not be???
 
alastairstevenson said:
Presumably you have exposed the cameras to access from the internet?
That's a very high-risk configuration, backdoor or not - the rest of the devices and data on your LAN are vulnerable to exploits.
Maybe consider a VPN as a safer alternative to just opening the network up to the bad guys.


The way forward for updates depends on whether the cameras were sold as 'updateable', or whether they are running 'hacked to English' firmware on China region cameras.
What's your understanding of the origin of the cameras?
Click to expand...

Can you please give some guidance on the upgradability of my camera's alastairstevenson?
 
reni wren said:
Hmmmmm, I thought all the cameras could be upgraded?
Did not see anything anywhere to say that some of them could not be???
Click to expand...

If your camera has a "hacked" firmware, there is a good probability you will brick your camera if you attempt to upgrade it.

What is your unit's serial number? Does it have a CH or a WR in the serial number?

If you have a WR camera, you should be able to download english firmware and upgrade the camera without a problem. (Although there is a thread somewhere where someone had a G1 camera, allegedly with a WR in the serial number, which reset to CH when he upgraded it.)

If your unit is a CH camera, and it is running a hacked english firmware, if you do manage to upgrade it successfully and not brick it, you will lose the english menus and will have chinese menus, which if you can live with, it isn't a problem. If you are using the camera with an NVR, depending on the NVR, you may get a "language mismatch" error because your NVR is expecting english cameras and it sees a chinese camera.

So, by all means, upgrade your firmware if you so desire. But keep these warnings in mind. If you spend any time searching through the forum you will find numerous threads replete with stories such as those indicated above.
 
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My camera's do have
Tolting Colt Acres said:
If your camera has a "hacked" firmware, there is a good probability you will brick your camera if you attempt to upgrade it.

What is your unit's serial number? Does it have a CH or a WR in the serial number?

If you have a WR camera, you should be able to download english firmware and upgrade the camera without a problem. (Although there is a thread somewhere where someone had a G1 camera, allegedly with a WR in the serial number, which reset to CH when he upgraded it.)

If your unit is a CH camera, and it is running a hacked english firmware, if you do manage to upgrade it successfully and not brick it, you will lose the english menus and will have chinese menus, which if you can live with, it isn't a problem. If you are using the camera with an NVR, depending on the NVR, you may get a "language mismatch" error because your NVR is expecting english cameras and it sees a chinese camera.

So, by all means, upgrade your firmware if you so desire. But keep these warnings in mind. If you spend any time searching through the forum you will find numerous threads replete with stories such as those indicated above.
Click to expand...

My camera's do have a CH in the serial but are the tools and steps that are available on here not intended to get you from a hacked English firmware to Chinese and then back to English on the latest firmware that plugs the backdoor hack?

I know there are risks with doing the upgrade but what are all the posts then about mtd hacks etc? Are these not for people who have hacked English firmware?
 
reni wren said:
I know there are risks with doing the upgrade but what are all the posts then about mtd hacks etc? Are these not for people who have hacked English firmware?
Click to expand...
Yes, they are for cameras that were purchased as non-upgradeable.
But for R0 series, not the series of your camera.

reni wren said:
My camera's do have a CH in the serial but are the tools and steps that are available on here not intended to get you from a hacked English firmware to Chinese and then back to English on the latest firmware that plugs the backdoor hack?
Click to expand...
But the 'mtd hacks' are for R0 series cameras - DS-2CD2x32-I where the 'hardware signature block' is stored in a flash memory partition which can be readily manipulated.
Your grey market DS-2CD2135F-IWS camera is from a different series.
The hardware signature is held in a hardened, secured separate integrated circuit that is designed not to be messed with.
That camera design needs customised firmware for updates.
 
alastairstevenson said:
Yes, they are for cameras that were purchased as non-upgradeable.
But for R0 series, not the series of your camera.


But the 'mtd hacks' are for R0 series cameras - DS-2CD2x32-I where the 'hardware signature block' is stored in a flash memory partition which can be readily manipulated.
Your grey market DS-2CD2135F-IWS camera is from a different series.
The hardware signature is held in a hardened, secured separate integrated circuit that is designed not to be messed with.
That camera design needs customised firmware for updates.
Click to expand...

Thanks for clarifying.

Just really disappointed that I cannot plug this bloody backdoor hack then!

Are there any guides on how I can setup a VPN so I can view the camera on my phone when it is not allowed to connect to the internet?
 
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