The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom has found that camera components made in China, fitted to its K3 Scout unmanned sea vehicles, contained links sending data to an IP address in China. The UK Ministry of Defence said there was no evidence any sensitive data had been leaked, and it disabled the cameras' internet connection.
Signals traced to China
The K3 Scout vehicles are built by British defence firm Kraken Technology. The Royal Navy bought the fleet, worth roughly 12 million pounds, in March.
A routine cybersecurity review of the vehicles found a vulnerability in the cameras' communication systems. A detailed examination showed the cameras contained components made in China and were regularly sending signals to confirm they were functioning correctly.
Those signals were found to be reaching an IP address in China, made up of technical data confirming the device was online and working normally. Cameras on military equipment communicating with a server or IP address in a foreign country in this way raised serious security concerns.
Planned for use in the Strait of Hormuz
The Ministry of Defence cut the connection and removed the cameras' internet access. It said its review found no evidence that any Ministry of Defence data or systems had been compromised.
The UK had planned to use the K3 Scout vehicles for missions protecting freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, which added to concern within British defence circles once the vulnerability was found.
Officials also noted the cameras could potentially remain active even when the vehicles are switched off, raising security risks around facilities and training areas used by special forces.
