Rogue communication devices found in Chinese inverters

20 c420 5 5/14/2025, 7:29:25 AM reuters.com ↗

Comments (5)

therealcamino · 19m ago
I hope we get more concrete information on this. It's very concerning if verified, especially with the Spain and Portugal blackout being so recent.

Remote bricking has already happened on a small scale through normal internet connectivity: [Sol-Ark manufacturer reportedly disables all Deye inverters in the US](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42279010) Installed inverters remotely disabled after a dispute between a contract manufacturer and a client. In the HN discussion from November there are comments from security-conscious and off-grid folks talking about how they protect their systems, and none of that would be effective if there's a hidden channel.

suraci · 4h ago
> "We know that China believes there is value in placing at least some elements of our core infrastructure at risk of destruction or disruption," said Mike Rogers, a former director of the U.S. National Security Agency

> "That effectively means there is a built-in way to physically destroy the grid," one of the people said

actionfromafar · 5h ago
How hard would it be to plant rogue devices in larger equipment, such as an airliner?
Arnt · 4h ago
You mean: How hard would it be for a field service engineer to hide something like https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/39/2024/10/Matt-Ho... inside a large machine?

Or: How hard would it be to hide a bomb inside a battery and then sell a gadget containing the battery via an internet marketplace?

beeforpork · 5h ago
Luckily, friends don't do that!