13.10.2026 10:42
It has emerged that vehicles rented by the Norwegian army for military exercises recorded soldiers' movements, locations, and the security codes used at the entrances to military facilities. While it was determined that the vehicles, at least two of which belong to the Chinese brand Deepal, stored sensitive information in their memory, it was learned that although the soldiers noticed the security vulnerability, they continued to use the same cars because no alternative vehicles could be found.
A striking security vulnerability occurred during the Hovedstad Exercise, held in Norway in September and covering preparations to ensure the security of Oslo Airport in the event of a possible war.
According to reports in the Norwegian press, personnel of the Home Guard (Heimevernet) participating in the exercise discovered that the rental vehicles were filming and recording military activities taking place around them.
The recording system, which the soldiers had not requested and were unaware of, stored sensitive information in the vehicles' memory throughout the exercise.
EVEN ENTRY CODES FOR MILITARY FACILITIES WERE RECORDED
The footage found in the vehicles' memory included the soldiers' entries and exits from the vehicles, whom they transported, which routes they used, and how long they stayed at certain points.
However, the most serious security risk emerged at the entrance gates of military facilities. The security codes the soldiers used to open the gates were also captured by the vehicles' cameras.
Lieutenant Fredrik Blanck, who participated in the exercise, said in a statement to Dagens Næringsliv that the soldiers noticed the videos recorded in the vehicles, and explained that the footage contained detailed information about the soldiers' movements.
Blanck warned that if these recordings fell into the hands of foreign actors, military activities and security arrangements could be exposed.
THEY NOTICED THE SECURITY VULNERABILITY BUT CONTINUED USING THE VEHICLES
One of the most striking details of the incident was that the soldiers continued to use the same vehicles even after noticing the recordings.
According to the Norwegian press, because there were not enough alternative vehicles during the exercise, the rental cars continued to be used for missions.
After the exercise, the footage found in the vehicles was deleted. However, it could not be determined whether the recordings were kept only in the vehicles' own memory or had also been transferred to other systems.
This uncertainty caused concerns about the possibility of military information falling into third parties' hands.
THE CHINA CONNECTION DREW ATTENTION
It was stated that the vehicles used in the exercise were rented through Hertz and that at least two cars belonged to the Chinese brand Deepal. Reports also drew attention to the rental company's corporate connection to the Chinese Geely group through Volvo Cars. The majority shares of Volvo Cars belong to Geely.
However, the vehicles being of Chinese origin does not show that the recordings were sent to China or that Chinese authorities accessed this information. No verified finding in this direction was announced.
Volvo Cars, however, rejected the assessment that its Chinese shareholding structure alone constitutes a security risk, stressing that data sharing with Geely requires a legal basis.
BAN STATEMENT FROM THE NORWEGIAN MILITARY
The Norwegian Armed Forces, while avoiding evaluating the details of the recordings related to the incident, stated that they are aware of the information security risks that modern vehicles and electronic devices can create.
Military officials stated that a general ban on cars produced in certain countries is not currently on the agenda, and that additional security measures may be implemented where deemed necessary.
The incident reopened discussion on the risks that camera and data storage systems in modern cars can pose for military operations.