Is Reolink safe? Privacy, police requests & security record
Facts last verified · Every claim is linked to its source · Methodology
Answer: Reolink: 2 qualifying incidents in our tracker since Oct 2021; police requests: legal process; privacy policy: qualified. Highest-scoring device we track: Reolink Video Doorbell (PoE / WiFi) (82/100).
Reolink devices we track
| Device | Score | Offline | Local storage | Home Assistant | RTSP/ONVIF | Subscription | Account |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reolink Video Doorbell (PoE / WiFi)Doorbell · Wired (PoE or 12–24 VAC) | 82 | Yes | Yes | Local push | Yes | Not needed | Not required |
| Reolink E1 Outdoor ProCamera · Plug-in, Wi-Fi | 82 | Yes | Yes | Local push | Yes | Not needed | Not required |
| Reolink RLC-811A (PoE)Camera · PoE | 82 | Yes | Yes | Local push | Yes | Not needed | Not required |
| Reolink E1 ZoomCamera · Plug-in, Wi-Fi | 82 | Yes | Yes | Local push | Yes | Not needed | Not required |
| Reolink Duo 3 PoECamera · PoE | 82 | Yes | Yes | Local push | Yes | Not needed | Not required |
| Reolink Argus 4 ProCamera · Battery + solar, Wi-Fi | 72 | Yes | Yes | Local push | Via hub only | Not needed | Not required |
Reolink RTSP/ONVIF setup note (added Oct 22, 2026): on many current Reolink models, RTSP and ONVIF (and on some, HTTP) ship switched off. Reolink says to enable them once in the Reolink App or desktop Client under Network > Advanced > Server Settings, or in the web interface where it is reachable12. For cameras attached to a Reolink NVR or Home Hub, enable the ports on the NVR/hub instead1. The App and Client can manage a camera as a "Local Device" using only its UID, username and password, so no Reolink account is needed for this step3. Home Assistant users report the same out-of-the-box behavior on recent firmware4.
Police & law-enforcement requests
Legal process No separate law-enforcement guidelines found; privacy policy says it shares personal information when required by law or "mandatorily required by government authorities".5 Compare companies
Privacy policy: selling or sharing data
Qualified "In general, we will not share your personal information with third parties" without consent or legal requirement; no explicit no-sale statement.5
Security incidents, vulnerabilities & regulator actions
What counts is set by our incident inclusion rule; entries before Oct 2021 are listed but not scored.
| Date | Company | What happened | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 2025 | Reolink | CVE-2025-55637: command injection (NVD CVSS 9.8) in a Reolink Wi-Fi video doorbell (Smart 2K+ Plug-in with Chime), published with a researcher proof-of-concept write-up.6 | Serious vulnerability |
| Jan 2022 | Reolink | Cisco Talos disclosed critical command-injection and firmware flaws in the Reolink RLC-410W camera with technical details. In December 2024 CISA added CVE-2021-40407 from this batch to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog.78 | Serious vulnerability |
Informational only, not legal advice. Found an error? Tell us.
Sources
- Reolink: How to configure Reolink ports settings · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Reolink: Reolink Home Assistant integration (prerequisites) · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Reolink: Local Device vs Account Device · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Home Assistant Community (user report): Reolink cameras ship with open-protocol ports off · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Reolink Privacy Policy · checked Oct 22, 2026
- NVD: CVE-2025-55637 (Reolink Wi-Fi Video Doorbell command injection) · checked Oct 22, 2026
- Cisco Talos: Reolink RLC-410W OS command injection (TALOS-2021-1424) · checked Oct 22, 2026
- NVD: CVE-2021-40407 (Reolink RLC-410W; in CISA KEV) · checked Oct 22, 2026