Uzbekistan operates a nationwide network of high-resolution roadside cameras that scan vehicle number plates and occupants to detect traffic offences, but a major security lapse has left the system publicly accessible online, TechCrunch reports.
Security researcher Anurag Sen discovered that the licence plate tracking platform was exposed without password protection, allowing unrestricted access to its data. While it is unclear how long the system has been open, records suggest the database was created in September 2024, with monitoring beginning in mid-2025.
The exposure provides an unusually detailed look at how national vehicle surveillance systems function. In one case, a frequently monitored vehicle was tracked over six months as it travelled between Chirchiq, Tashkent and the nearby settlement of Eshonguzar.
The breach also highlights the privacy and security risks linked to mass road monitoring, as similar systems expand globally. Sen said the database reveals camera locations and contains millions of images and raw video recordings of passing vehicles.
The system is operated by the Department of Public Security within Uzbekistan’s Interior Ministry, which did not respond to requests for comment. Government representatives abroad and the national computer emergency response team also failed to provide substantive replies.
At the time of writing, the surveillance platform remained accessible online. The system identifies itself as an intelligent traffic management solution produced by Shenzhen-based Maxvision, a supplier of connected traffic and surveillance technologies exported to multiple countries.
Analysis of the data indicates the presence of at least 100 cameras across major cities and transport routes, including Tashkent, Jizzakh, Qarshi and Namangan, as well as some rural and border-adjacent areas. The cameras record 4K video and still images of traffic violations, all viewable through an exposed web interface.
