Skip to main content

WD My Cloud web interface could give hackers the key to your files

WD PR4100 NAS review
Anthony Thurston/Digital Trends
Western Digital’s My Cloud network-attached storage (NAS) drives feature several unpatched security problems which could leave users vulnerable to attack by nefarious individuals. WD has been made aware of the flaws in the system, and the team that discovered the bugs has now made them available to the public in the hope that it encourages a quicker turnaround on a fix.

Traditionally, the playbook for revealing security issues with hardware or software is to let the manufacturer know first. That way, the company has some time to fix up the problem without it negatively affecting its business. More importantly, it means that hackers who weren’t aware of the bug don’t exploit it while it’s being fixed.

In this case, Exploitee.rs (via Engadget) who who discovered the bugs, made them public straight away due to what was described as WD’s “reputation within the community.” More specifically, Western Digital earned the Pwnie award at BlackHat Las Vegas 2016 for “Lamest Vendor Response” to bugs revealed to it in the past. By alerting the community, Exploitee hopes that users can avoid this particular drive range until WD goes ahead and fixes it.

There are actually a few bugs that were found as part of this latest investigation. Although they were specifically discovered on the My Cloud PR4100, they are expected to impact the entire My Cloud range. They are mostly to do with poorly written login scripts which could allow a hacker to bypass the certification system entirely, but others allow unauthorised file uploads, missing login requirements, and poorly implemented web interface commands.

Western Digital MyCloud Multiple Remote Root Exploits

While WD has yet to issue a response to these claims, My Cloud owners would be wise to keep their NAS drive offline for the time being and restrict it to your local network until several security fixes are released.

Editors' Recommendations

Jon Martindale
Jon Martindale is the Evergreen Coordinator for Computing, overseeing a team of writers addressing all the latest how to…
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5, Surface Pro 9 heavily discounted today
The Surface Pro 9 in laptop mode on a table.

Microsoft's Surface devices are well known for their versatility and performance, but they command premium prices. That's why there's always high demand for Surface Laptop and Surface Pro deals, as who doesn't want to enjoy a discount when making a huge investment? If you're interested, Best Buy is offering the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 at $300 off, which brings its price down to $1,000 from $1,300, and the Microsoft Surface Pro 9 at $540 off, which lowers its price also to $1,000 from $1,540, ahead of the arrival of the consumer versions of the Surface Laptop 6 and Surface Pro 10. You need to push through with your transaction as soon as possible if either of these bargains caught your attention, as we're not sure how much time is remaining before they disappear.
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 -- $1,000, was $1,300

The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 is a traditional Windows 11 laptop that's powered by the 12th-generation Intel Core i5 Evo processor, Intel Iris Xe Graphics, and 8GB of RAM. It won't match up to the performance of the best laptops, but it's going to be more than enough to handle daily tasks for work or school. The laptop features a 13.5-inch PixelSense touchscreen with vibrant colors and sharp details, a battery that can last up to 18 hours on a single charge, and a 512GB SSD that provides ample storage space for your files. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 also comes with a 720p webcam and dual far-field Studio Mics for clear video calls.

Read more
The best MacBook to buy in 2024
Apple MacBook Pro 16 downward view showing keyboard and speaker.

Now that Apple has started outfitting its laptops with its M3 generation of chips, it's time to take another look at which is the best MacBook to buy in 2024. That’s not always easy, though, as buying the newest MacBook isn’t always the right decision. Apple has several tiers of performance, as well as various sizes, which can further complicate the matter.

What’s more, you can also still get M1 and M2 MacBooks, some from Apple’s own website and some from third-party retailers. But are they still worth your money? Our guide should help you decide.

Read more
9 best laptops of 2024: tested and reviewed
The MacBook Air on a white table.

To earn the crown as the best laptop in 2024, a device needs to have it all: gorgeous design, killer performance, a productive keyboard, long-lasting battery life, and much more.

Each of the laptops below has been vetted thoroughly by Digital Trends. Whether it's an affordable Chromebook or a top-of-the-line gaming laptop, they've all been subjected to real-world testing, as well as benchmark and battery tests, to collect enough data to objectively pit them against each other.

Read more