Default password, 50,000 clips: How cyber breach at Gujarat hospital exposed pan-India CCTV hacking scam

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What started as a case of digital negligence at a hospital in Rajkot has turned into one of India’s most disturbing cyber crimes.

As per The Times of India (TOI) report, hackers infiltrated the CCTV system of Payal Maternity Hospital using the default password – admin123 – and extracted hours of sensitive footage, which was later sold through global porn networks.

The breach led to the theft of at least 50,000 clips from facilities across the country between January and December 2024.

Captured from hospitals, schools, factories, offices and even private homes, these videos are then marketed online anywhere ₹700 more ₹4,000, according to TOI.

80 CCTV dashboards in 20 states breached

Investigators revealed that around 80 CCTV dashboards across 20 states, including cities like Pune, Mumbai, Nashik, Surat, Ahmedabad and Delhi, were compromised.

The scam first came to light when teaser clips of Rajkot hospital appeared on YouTube channels like “Megha MBBS” and “CP Monda”, which directed users to Telegram groups for payment.

“The primary method used was ‘brute force attack’ (hackers use a program or bot to try every possible combination of letters and numbers for a lock),” an Ahmedabad cyber crime unit official told TOI.

How did hackers work?

The main accused, 25-year-old B.Com graduate Parit Dhamelia, used three software tools – SUIP(dot)biz, Masscan and SWC software – to identify and exploit vulnerable systems.

According to TOI, using these tools, hackers obtained IP addresses, scanned for open digital ports and obtained login credentials. Another accused, Rohit Sisodia, was arrested in Delhi after he accessed hospital cameras through DMSS, a legitimate remote-viewing app.

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Investigating officials said the gang used VPNs to control traffic through cities such as Bucharest and New York.

Arrested under cyber crime

The suspects, including Prajwal Teli, Praj Patil and Chandraprakash Phoolchand, were arrested within 39 hours of the FIR being filed.

According to TOI report, he has been charged under various sections of the Indian Justice Code (BNS) and the Information Technology Act, including sections related to cyber terrorism.