Robot Mower Maker Removes Backdoor After Security Scare

A company is putting customer safety first after learning its robot lawn mowers had a serious security flaw. Yarbo announced it will remove mandatory remote backdoor access from its devices, letting owners choose whether to install the feature at all.

Security researcher Andreas Makris discovered he could hijack any Yarbo robot from across the globe. The vulnerabilities also exposed customer email addresses and GPS locations, raising serious privacy concerns.

Yarbo initially planned to keep the remote backdoor open for authorized staff to troubleshoot devices remotely. But after customer feedback and questions from journalists, co-founder Kenneth Kohlmann made a bigger commitment.

"In the future there should be no remote backdoor unless the user decides to opt-in," Kohlmann told The Verge. The feature will now be completely optional, requiring active customer consent to install.

The new system will work through a setup script that sits dormant on each machine. If owners need remote help and choose to activate it, they can install a temporary one-time tunnel for troubleshooting.

The Bright Side

This story shows what happens when companies listen to security experts and customers. Instead of defending the vulnerable design, Yarbo reversed course and strengthened its commitment to user privacy.

The company is now working directly with Makris, the researcher who discovered the flaws. This collaboration means the security expert can validate that Yarbo follows through on its promises.

Yarbo has already started rolling out security improvements. Every device now gets a unique root password, and firmware updates have reached the first 1,000 machines with more waves coming soon.

The change represents a meaningful shift in how connected devices handle remote access. Rather than assuming companies should have backdoor access to products customers own, Yarbo is putting control back in users' hands.

When companies choose transparency over defensiveness, everyone wins.