Engineer Finds Security Flaw in 7,000 Robot Vacuums

When Sammy Azdoufal decided to connect his robot vacuum to a PlayStation controller for fun, he stumbled onto something far bigger than an entertaining weekend project.

Azdoufal, a software engineer and AI strategist, used an AI coding assistant to reverse-engineer how his DJI Romo vacuum communicated with the company's servers. He thought it would be amusing to control his vacuum cleaner like a video game character.

But once he gained access to the system, he realized something alarming. He could see data from nearly 7,000 robot vacuum cleaners across 24 countries, including live camera feeds, microphone audio, and floor plans of homes.

To prove the vulnerability was real, Azdoufal demonstrated his discovery to reporters at tech publication the Verge. Within minutes of receiving a device's serial number, he accessed live footage of a reporter's living room, saw the vacuum's battery level, and generated a complete floor plan of the house.

Rather than exploit this access, Azdoufal immediately reported the security flaw. He contacted DJI and worked with journalists to ensure the company fixed the problem before the story went public.

Why This Inspires

Azdoufal's response shows how ethical tech professionals protect everyday users from potential harm. He could have ignored the vulnerability or used it for personal gain. Instead, he chose transparency and responsibility.

His actions highlight an important truth about cybersecurity: sometimes the people who discover security flaws are the ones keeping us safest. White hat hackers like Azdoufal work to expose vulnerabilities before bad actors can exploit them.

DJI has since told multiple publications that the issue has been resolved, though Azdoufal noted some vulnerabilities required additional fixes. His discovery serves as a reminder that smart home devices need robust security protections.

The incident also demonstrates how quickly technology companies can respond when researchers work with them in good faith. Responsible disclosure gives companies time to fix problems before they become widespread threats.

One curious engineer turned a fun experiment into protection for thousands of families worldwide.