WD has stated OS3 firmware will no longer be updated. And some devices that run OS3 cannot be updated to OS5 and are at End of Updates due to no longer being manufactured.
While we would ideally like device manufacturers to update their firmware indefinitely. The reality is almost all do not. Most all have end of life or end of updates on their no longer produced products. If one has a second gen v2.x single bay My Cloud they have the option to update their units to OS5 (and possibly experience the problems that come with it, primarily the indexing issue). Otherwise one can, at their own risk, try using alternate firmware on their first gen single bay My Cloud unit (with varying degrees of success). Typically however trying to install alternate firmware/OS involves some additional knowledge and skill on the end user’s part.
Clean OS (Debian), OpenMediaVault and other “firmwares”(Clean OS (Debian), OpenMediaVault and other "firmwares")
Edit to add: WD makes the GPL OS3 source code for the OS3 firmware available for those who want it. One could take on the task of updating the OS3 firmware to close current/future security vulnerabilities themselves if they so desired (and had the knowledge/skill to do so).
