Western Digital confirms that they do not intend to fix vulnerabilities in My Cloud OS3 that put NAS users at risk for their files. This means that many NAS devices are now open to attacks.
- Increases the risk of losing files
- Western Digital does not fix the vulnerabilities
- Many users are already affected
My Cloud OS3 is open to hacker attacks
If you have an older Western Digital NAS device with My Cloud OS3, it is open to hacker attacks when connected to the Internet.
The software has vulnerabilities that Western Digital is aware of – but they do not want to fix them for you.
Instead, the company urges its users to buy a new NAS device.
To the website Engadget, a spokesperson for Western Digital confirms that they have a fix for the vulnerabilities in My Cloud OS3. But they have no plans to update the software with them.
Instead, the company wants users to upgrade to My Cloud OS 5 to get the same fixes.
If a NAS device is not compatible with My Cloud OS 5 then it is completely in the cold. Western Digital leaves it open for further attacks.
Unofficial third party solution fixes vulnerabilities
The news is likely to hurt a lot for those users who have already had their NAS devices cleaned on their files after a previous attack. And for those who have time to disconnect their devices from the internet, the cold hand from Western Digital is certainly not fun either.
There is an unofficial solution from two independent developers that you can try. But it is untested software that has not been verified as secure, so it is not the best solution. Not least because you have to apply their security fix every time your NAS has restarted.
It is more the rule than the exception that companies sooner or later stop giving support to their older stuff. It is simply not possible to maintain them for any length of time.
Therefore, it is not unexpected that Western Digital does not want to continue updating My Cloud OS3 for any length of time.
NAS devices that support My Cloud OS 5
Western Digital has detailed preference for older devices that can upgrade to My Cloud OS 5 on this support page. You can also see the list below (retrieved 2021-07-04):
- My Cloud EX2 Ultra
- My Cloud EX4100
- My Cloud PR2100
- My Cloud PR4100
- My Cloud DL2100
- My Cloud DL4100
- My Cloud EX2100
- My Cloud (Firmware 2.xx.xxx)
- My Cloud Mirror Gen 2
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