Backlash against Linksys home network Wi-Fi router firmware upgrade

A backlash against Linksys home network Wi-Fi router firmware upgrade seems to be gaining attention on the forums off late. Some users have complained about an automatic firmware upgrade that has pushed users to use a cloud based administration service they do not want. (Image credit: Cisco)

According to Stephen Lawson -

Users posting on the Cisco Home Community forum and the U.K.-based site PC Gamer said they had turned on their Linksys EA3500 and EA4500 routers earlier this week and found they were running a new firmware version. The new firmware presented a login screen for the Cisco Connect Cloud instead of the LAN-based router management interface that had come up previously, they said.

The EA3500 and EA4500 were designed to run with third party applications and be managed remotely via Cisco Connect Cloud. Linksys on their part have provide instructions on how to downgrade the firmware for users who so choose to.

Backlash against Linksys home network Wi-Fi router firmware upgrade - Cause for concern

Users complaints seem to stem from the lack of options and the fear of hacking into the cloud based interface thus allowing other entities to load firmware of their choosing onto the routers. The privacy policy is another source of concern for users -

"When you use the Service, we may keep track of certain information related to your use of the service," the policy said. Among other things, that data may include how much traffic is going through the router every hour; that information includes the Internet history from the home network, the policy said.
In the policy, Cisco said it "may share aggregated or anonymous user experience information with service providers contractors or other third parties," but that the data would not personally identify the user in any way.

Cloud-based router management is not necessarily less secure than the traditional method of logging into the device over the LAN, said Farpoint Group analyst Craig Mathias. Any router connected to the Internet may be susceptible to an outside attack, he said. And management from the cloud is more convenient because it can be done from anywhere, he said.

"We see cloud-based management as ultimately the dominant vehicle ... for almost everybody," Mathias said.
However, Mathias warned against allowing automatic firmware or software upgrades.
"If someone hacks that interface, they can load any firmware they want into your router," he said. Some users complained that when they discovered the problem and tried to turn off automatic firmware updates, they couldn't. The rollback instructions posted Friday included directions for turning off that setting.

Are you affected by the Linksys home network Wi-Fi router firmware upgrade? Let us know below. Do you feel that the backlash against Linksys home network Wi-Fi router firmware upgrade is justified?

via Posterize