How to disable reset hole (PR2100 & EX2 Ultra) [design flaw, security]

Hi, I’m surprised that the enterprise version of the EX2 also has a reset hole in the back.
This is a critical design flaw for secure data.

How can the reset hole be disabled - so that the password to the data is not reset?

Or can WD update the firmware to add a feature? When the reset hole is pressed:

  1. a temp password is emailed to the registered admin. This temp pass is needed to access data. (But not everyone may have internet access.)

or
2) a temp code is written to a USB drive that you plug in prior to the reset. This temp code is a derivative of the real admin pass. The USB drive has an exe file. You enter the temp code + admin pass in the exe, and it creates a temp pass, which allows access to the drive data.

I know there are virtual encryption drives that you can put on the NAS. But this is forcing a third party semi-solution to correct the design flaw of the NAS.

So WD needs to create a solution that doesn’t give access to anyone who can grief with a paperclip.

Anyone with physical access to the server can grief… e.g. drop the box while it’s powered on or plug a USB stick with malware.
This is not a security flaw but a dummy proof way to restore an invalid/corrupt configuration.

I agree with Tfl.

In any enterprise, physical access to the hardware should be restricted.

Also, I don’t think WD bills these as “Enterprise,” so not sure where your description came from. The PR is Pro series, the EX is Expert series.

Thanks. I appreciate you. Is it possible to do a mod like this, but it resets everything except the admin password? Basically that is what I am asking WD to give us an option for. (But if you can do it, youd be a hero.)

Reset settings yes - to correct a mistake. But turn off reset password, which is an extreme risk to privacy.

By grief I mean theft of private data, bit coin, etc. Things that people can use to exploit. The encryption on this box is useless since anyone can reset the pass. That is an extreme risk.
It is better to have the data destroyed then fall in enemy hands. WD gave a back door to private data, and implemented the reset wrong. There should be a setting to only reset settings, but not the admin pass.

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TY. Are you aware of any company that makes a pro level NAS without the reset hole, or at least it does not reset the admin pass? I looked at another company, and they have a hole. (But not sure if it resets pass too.)

I’m not sure what constitutes enterprise level, but all these boxes should have an option to not reset the admin pass. Another user commented on how WD lost sight of the purpose of these boxes - to protect data. This includes protect private data from anyone with a paper clip.

[Msg to WD]
I asked years ago and searched for a metal locker. But never found a workable one. We shouldn’t have to buy a 3rd party solution to a paper clip exploit. Throwing the box around is a different issue, since it doesn’t grant access to private data.

No; I know of none that don’t have some manner of recovering passwords.

I mean, what would you do if you forgot the password and had that “option” set to NOT reset the password? You’d have a brick, right?

Most if not all enterprise systems have a physical “back door” which can be opened – but, again, it requires physical access to the system to exercise such a recovery.

Various other things might happen, like deleting the DAR keys (which effectively destroys all data on the array(s)…

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