Hikvision Default Password and Reset Guide — Regain Access to Your DVR

If you've inherited a Hikvision system, bought a used DVR, or simply forgotten your credentials, being DVR locked out is a common and fixable problem. This guide covers the hikvision default password, the SADP tool, the activation process, and how to reset access — plus how RSC automates the whole thing for enrolled cameras.

First: there is no universal "default" anymore

Older Hikvision gear shipped with a well-known CCTV DVR default password — the classic admin / 12345. Modern units don't. Since firmware changes years ago, Hikvision devices ship inactive and force you to create a password on first setup (activation). So the answer to "what's the hikvision default password" depends on the age of the device:

• Legacy units: username admin, password 12345 (if never activated).
• Modern units: no default — you set the hikvision admin password during activation.

If someone already activated the device, the default won't work and you'll need to reset.

The SADP tool

Hikvision's SADP (Search Active Devices Protocol) tool is the standard way to find and manage Hikvision devices on your local network. Use it to:

1. Discover every Hikvision device on your LAN and see whether each is Active or Inactive.
2. Activate an inactive device by setting a new hikvision camera password.
3. Reset the password on an active device (via an exported encrypted file or a security code, verified by Hikvision).

Download SADP from Hikvision's official site, connect your computer to the same network as the DVR, and run it.

Activating a new/inactive device

1. Open SADP; find the device showing status Inactive.
2. Select it, enter a strong new password (this becomes the hikvision admin password).
3. Apply. The device is now active with your credentials.

Resetting a forgotten password (active device)

Because there's no universal hikvision DVR password reset backdoor by design, resetting an active device requires proving physical/network ownership:

• Export/import method: SADP exports an encrypted request file; you send it to Hikvision support (or an authorized dealer), who returns a reset file.
• Security code method: Some models generate a date-based code that authorized support can convert to a temporary reset.
• Physical reset button: Many cameras (not DVRs) have a hardware reset button — hold it during power-on to return to inactive state, then re-activate via SADP.

This intentional friction is why a hikvision DVR password reset can feel harder than it should — Hikvision doesn't want a trivial bypass, and neither do you.

How RSC automates Hikvision access

For cameras enrolled in RSC (Real Security Camera), you skip most of the manual dance. RSC:

• Discovers Hikvision devices on your local network automatically.
• Handles activation for inactive units and known default credentials on legacy ones.
• Establishes the RTSP stream directly, bringing the camera into your dashboard with recording and motion alerts.

RSC always verifies you're on the camera's local network first — proof it's yours — before attempting any access. It's the fast path to a working Hikvision camera without hunting for tools and codes.

Security note

Once you regain access, immediately set a strong, unique hikvision camera password and update the firmware. Default and weak passwords are the number-one way IP cameras get hijacked.

Bottom line

Being DVR locked out of a Hikvision system is almost always recoverable: legacy units may take the old default, modern units need activation via SADP, and forgotten passwords reset through Hikvision's verified flow. For enrolled cameras, RSC automates discovery, activation, and streaming.

Want to understand the stream underneath it all? Read what is RTSP. Locked out of a subscription camera instead? See unlock a camera after cancelling.

Automate your camera access. Get RSC at realsecuritycamera.com →