Hi all,
I'm not sure the best section to put this thread in and decided to start here. Recently I was installing some exterior security cameras and put one on the ceiling of my front porch. I ran the cable above the porch ceiling/under the roof (soffit?) and into the house just above the ceiling of my front entry closet, then down through the interior wall and into the basement. My front entry juts out from the 2-story "great room" and the porch roof is where it would be for a 1-story wall.
When doing this I expected to have to drill a hole from above the closet ceiling into the space above the porch ceiling, but when I cut an access hole in the closet ceiling I found that I could pass the cable straight through a space in some studs.
So my question is - is this normal or should there be sheathing along the exterior wall of that out-crop above my ceilings? I just seems to be that it being open to the space above the porch is asking for pest intrusion or that the entry closet/front door ceiling becomes a very weak spot in the envelope of the house.
I'm attaching a drawing to show what this looks like because I'm not sure I can explain it properly.

2-views showing area above ceiling that is not sealed.

 

If i understand you correctly, that is called balloon framing, which is perfectly normal in older houses. Newer houses would have been built with top plates and/or fireblocking that would make a separation between wall and attic space.