UK government worried Huawei software could facilitate cyberespionage

Huawei Technologies, the Chinese ICT infrastructure and smart device manufacturer, is now on UK”s security blacklist following technical “shortcomings” in the software used, writes Reuters.

UK officials are concerned telecom companies and their networks could be seriously compromised due to outdated software in Huawei devices. As mentioned by three anonymous sources for Reuters, the software component is actually the VxWorks operating system, sold by US-based Wind River Systems. It appears that as of 2020, the company will no longer release security patches, even though the software will still be in use.

According to a UK government report released in July, this glitch is believed to facilitate cyberattacks on British infrastructure and cyberespionage.

“Third party software, including security critical components, on various component boards will come out of existing long-term support in 2020, even though the Huawei end of life date for the products containing this component is often longer,” reads the government report.

This is not the first time the Chinese software company has been accused of allowing the Chinese government to use its equipment to spy on other nations. The Pentagon has already banned Huawei and ZTE phones from US military bases for fear they could jeopardize national security and secret operations.

“Cyber security remains Huawei”s top priority, and we will continue to actively improve our engineering processes and risk management systems,” said a Huawei spokesperson. The company said they will consider the recent national security concerns expressed by the UK government and will look into improving the areas mentioned. No explicit comments were made on the government”s July report.