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Slovakia buys Russian-made traffic cameras that accept SMS commands
🇨🇭 Switzerland /Conflict & Security

Slovakia buys Russian-made traffic cameras that accept SMS commands

From Neue Zürcher Zeitung · () German

Translated from German, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Under investigation
  • Slovakia is purchasing 279 traffic cameras from a Cypriot company, but the cameras are of Russian origin and can receive commands via SMS.
  • Opposition parties raised concerns, and the National Security Authority confirmed the cameras' Russian source and warned of significant cyber threats.
  • The Slovak Interior Ministry has halted testing, and prosecutors are investigating the case, which may involve an attempt to obscure the cameras' origin.

Slovakia's plan to modernize its traffic monitoring system has hit a snag with the discovery that new speed cameras, purchased from a Cypriot firm, are actually of Russian manufacture and possess the capability to receive instructions via SMS messages. The Slovak Interior Ministry intended to acquire 279 radar cameras to enforce speed limits.

The NBU warns of a significant cyber threat emanating from these cameras.

— National Security Authority (NBU)Highlighting the potential security risks associated with the cameras.

Concerns were first voiced by the opposition party Progressive Slovakia in early August. Despite initial denials from the Interior Minister, the National Security Authority (NBU) has since confirmed the cameras' origin, identifying the manufacturer as Simicon, based in St. Petersburg. The NBU has issued a warning regarding substantial cyber threats posed by these devices.

Technical analysis by the NBU revealed multiple security vulnerabilities and undocumented communication channels within the cameras. Notably, a covered slot for a second SIM card was found, a feature not mentioned in the technical specifications. Furthermore, the devices can reportedly accept commands via SMS from twelve specific phone numbers, originating from the St. Petersburg region, Leningrad Oblast, and Kemerovo Oblast in southern Siberia.

The devices can receive commands via SMS messages from twelve predetermined phone numbers.

— Technical analysis by the NBUDetailing a specific security vulnerability.

The Interior Ministry has halted the trial operation of two cameras, and prosecutors are now investigating the matter. It remains unclear whether the Russian state is directly involved, but the situation suggests a deliberate effort to conceal the cameras' origins through a complex arrangement. The Cypriot company, Sodasus Ltd., presented itself as the manufacturer to Slovak authorities, but appears to be a shell company operating from a nondescript office building in Nicosia, with another Cypriot firm managing its directorship for a fee. Sodasus Ltd. was registered in August 2021, with no apparent prior business activity.

It appears to be a shell company.

— Article textDescribing the nature of the Cypriot supplier, Sodasus Ltd.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Neue Zürcher Zeitung in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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