If not properly secured, a smart air conditioner can serve as an entry point for intruders to access a home network. Svyatoslav Litvinov, Candidate of Technical Sciences and Acting Head of the Telecommunications Department at RTU MIREA, explained this to Life.ru. According to the expert, modern internet-connected climate control devices are essentially small computers. Some models feature microphones, cameras, or voice control capabilities; however, vulnerable firmware and default factory passwords can increase the risk of unauthorized access.
An air conditioner does not look like a suspicious camera and rarely arouses suspicion; consequently, hackers can use it to quietly scan other connected devices and computers, intercept smartphone data, and attempt to access banking applications. Furthermore, modern voice-controlled models maintain a constant connection to the manufacturer’s cloud servers. If a hacker intercepts this channel, they can send commands from your device—such as changing the temperature—creating not only a data security risk but also a physical threat.
To protect yourself, the expert recommends:
immediately disabling the microphone and camera in the settings or physically blocking them (using tape or covers);
connecting smart appliances to a separate guest Wi-Fi network isolated from your primary devices;
regularly updating firmware and changing default router passwords;
periodically checking the list of connected devices on the network and rebooting the router if unfamiliar addresses appear.
The specialist notes that the most insidious aspect of this scheme is its ease of execution. Thousands of scripts available in public databases automatically scan networks for specific air conditioner models and test them for vulnerabilities. It is akin to thieves going from door to door in an apartment building, checking every lock to see if a key has been left in it—except that instead of operating in your neighborhood, they are doing this worldwide, simultaneously, and at the speed of light.
An expert explained that hackers use search engines like Shodan—which index devices with open ports—to locate air conditioners via their IP addresses. They then use default factory passwords or exploit known vulnerabilities specific to the model to gain full control over the device’s functions. This includes the ability to activate the microphone without any visual indicator, as the camera-active icon on many budget devices is not actually wired to the controller.
Fraudsters rely on the assumption that you are thinking, “Who would want my air conditioner?” The answer is: everyone—because the device itself isn’t the ultimate goal; it is a doorway. And until you close that door, every active microphone serves as an open window into your private life, allowing unauthorized parties to peer inside.
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