Inverter security nightmare: Hoymiles silences neighborhoods
www.heise.de
Radio vulnerabilities in PV systems allow disabling while driving by and physical destruction of devices.

The expansion of decentralized energy generation repeatedly reveals deficiencies in the IT security of market-leading hardware. The focus is again on the Chinese company Hoymiles, which, according to its own statements, serves around 20 percent of the European market for microinverters. These are installed in balcony power plants and smaller roof solar systems. Security researcher Benedikt Heinz, also known as Hunz, together with the Chaos Computer Club (CCC), has uncovered far-reaching security vulnerabilities: With simple means from the electronic junk box and little know-how, it is reportedly possible to manipulate, switch off, or permanently disable solar systems in the neighborhood while driving by.

  • trampel@feddit.orgEnglish
    52·
    3 days ago

    Well you kind of need the cloud in energy production tech if you want to keep the energy network stable. Otherwise the network operators can’t regulate the energy production during peak hours.

    But it’s crazy to me that stuff like inverters does not get penetration tested before being sold on the European market…

    • HaraldvonBlauzahn@feddit.orgOPEnglish
      20·
      3 days ago

      Well you kind of need the cloud in energy production tech if you want to keep the energy network stable.

      Wrong for distributed local smaller generators. You can regulate them via AC frequency.

      It is also a bad idea because of a circular dependency: The Internet depends on a working electricity grid. The cloud needs the Internet to work. It is insane to make the electrical grid dependent from the cloud.

    • Waterpumpee@lemmus.orgEnglish
      4·
      3 days ago

      I dont think much is tested at all b4 selling it in EU. Slap CE on it, has no meaning anyway. If your product causes harm, you have a small cash limited company as strawman.