A researcher has flagged a bug in Google's Nest Cam and Dropcam Pro security cameras that allows an attacker within Bluetooth range to stop either device from recording.

Bluetooth range, of course, is exactly where a burglar would be when planning to ransack a home, and with attack code now publicly available, an intruder could knock Google's security cameras off a wireless network for 90 seconds. That mightn't sound so severe, but since the camera is designed to only store recorded footage in the cloud, the loss of connectivity means the device loses its surveillance capabilities for this period.

Nest is coming under fire following an announcement that Revolv, a smart home startup it acquired two years ago, would be permanently shutting off its product starting May 15th.

The decision, announced in a quiet note on Revolv's website in February, has gone largely unnoticed and is expected to impact a very small number of consumers. However, it does raise serious questions about the longevity of smart home gadgets. The devices are often costly pieces of hardware made by small startups that may drop support at any point after being scooped up by a larger technology company.

At this year's edition of the Black Hat security conference, a group of researchers has shown how extremely easy is to hack into the smart thermostats manufactured by Nest.

When Google acquired home automation company Nest earlier this year, many voiced their privacy concerns regarding the increased scope of Google's data mining via Nest's smart thermostats and smoke detectors. But the danger might be even more immediate, as a group of researchers have demonstrated at this year's edition of the Black Hat security conference. Independent researcher Daniel Buentello, and researechers Yier Jin and Grant Hernandez of the University of Central Florida, have discovered that the OS level security checks that should prevent the installation of malware on the device can be easily bypassed.

Dropcam, the popular home monitoring camera startup, will be acquired by Nest, maker of smart thermostats and smoke detectors. The deal is worth $555 million in cash.

“The teams are very well-aligned and we love the product,” Rogers said. “We both think about the entire user experience from the unboxing on. We both care deeply about helping people stay connected with their homes when they’re not there.” Dropcam, similar to Nest, offers a limited line of tightly integrated hardware and software. The camera company has only three products: the $149 Dropcam, $199 Dropcam Pro, and $29 Dropcam Tab. All three devices are aimed at helping customers monitor home activity through motion sensors and video recordings.