{"id":32180,"date":"2019-07-22T14:38:28","date_gmt":"2019-07-22T04:08:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/?p=32180"},"modified":"2019-07-22T14:41:08","modified_gmt":"2019-07-22T04:11:08","slug":"solar-power-system-hacking","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-power-system-hacking\/","title":{"rendered":"Security Jitters: Can They Hack My Solar Power System?"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Solar

Is your solar power system at risk of hacking?<\/p><\/div>\n

Last week\u2019s post about solar inverter security<\/a> sparked a lot of interest and a few good questions I\u2019d like to answer; starting with one from TJ that reminded me people are justifiably and genuinely worried. <\/p>\n

TJ asked: \u201cIs it possible for a hack to shut down all the inverters for a particular company? Who knows?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

The answer to the first question is \u201cyes\u201d, if four conditions are satisfied:<\/p>\n

(a) Systems are accessible over the Internet;<\/p>\n

(b) The system takes commands over that connection (that is, it\u2019s not just sending monitoring data);<\/p>\n

(c) There is a security vulnerability; and<\/p>\n

(d) An attacker knows how to exploit that vulnerability.<\/p>\n

The easiest vulnerability is if an internet-connected solar inverter connects without a password (Faisal claimed this is true of SolaX, which I\u2019ll look into), or uses hard-coded credentials for a default account (that is, the admin account has a default password that you can\u2019t change).<\/p>\n

Of course, if an attacker can log into the configuration interface, they have control over the system.<\/p>\n

Another common programming error is where the software developer has locked down the admin Web page – but didn\u2019t secure API access properly, or an attacker can send instructions to the product\u2019s \u201ccommand line interface\u201d (CLI). I\u2019ve seen this kind of bug innumerable times over the years in computers, network equipment, and industrial automation gear; so it\u2019s inevitable that a solar PV system will one day fall prey to the same kind of bug.<\/p>\n

Once a vulnerability becomes known, it\u2019s all too easy for miscreants to find systems that might be exposed, because there\u2019s a search engine called Shodan that indexes systems available to the Internet. Here are a number of entries for SCADA systems<\/a>, some of which are PV controllers.<\/p>\n

Who Knows?<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re not familiar with the IT industry, the second part of TJ\u2019s question, \u201cWho knows?\u201d, looks ominous. Would we ever find out if our systems were vulnerable?<\/p>\n

This might surprise you: the answer should be \u201cYes\u201d. The IT industry has a 20-year-old public<\/i> database of vulnerabilities, and if someone discovers a problem, the wider industry becomes aware of it (usually after what\u2019s known as a \u201cdisclosure window\u201d of 90 days).<\/p>\n

If you’re interested, here’s what a good security advisory program looks like<\/a>, from computer networking giant Cisco Systems – every advisory for every product is published, along with an assessment of how severe a problem is, and how to fix it.<\/p>\n

In the 1990s, going public like this was subject to very heated debate: surely publishing ways to hack (for example) Microsoft Windows is terribly dangerous?<\/p>\n

The pro-disclosure argument that won the day had many threads, but the most important were: (a) customers need to know that their systems might need to be patched against a possible hack; and (b) the information security community would be able to work collaboratively on fixes, if it learned to be more open about vulnerabilities. Today, the IT community\u2019s Common Vulnerabilities & Exposures (CVE) database documents tens of thousands of security bugs, and various organisations from Google and Microsoft down offer \u201cbug bounties\u201d to reward security researchers for their work.<\/p>\n

Disclosure isn\u2019t perfect. Some governments \u201choard\u201d vulnerabilities they discover (America\u2019s National Security Agency did so for many years), and cyber-crime syndicates don\u2019t take part in disclosure programs, but overall, disclosure has made us all more secure.<\/p>\n

Solar PV vendors are in the very early stages of taking part in vulnerability programs, but I expect they will become more active. Even if they hope to avoid scrutiny, hackers will turn their attention to control systems, and the solar power industry will be forced to respond.<\/p>\n

Lesharoturbo<\/strong> explained monitoring-only systems can\u2019t be controlled by attackers, which is true. However, if a vulnerability and an Internet connection existed, they could expose sensitive information to attackers, so security is still a consideration.<\/p>\n

From Richard Pillay, this very good question: \u201cI found it very interesting you suggested using https after logging in. So use an insecure connection to enter your credentials?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

I should have been more clear: I had in mind local logins only here – that is, you\u2019re directly connected to a device. A secured login page is preferable, but I know from experience that a lot of home routers don\u2019t enforce it for local users (but do switch to HTTPS after login). As long as the insecurity only applies to local users, I\u2019m not too worried.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last week\u2019s post about solar inverter security sparked a lot of interest and a few good questions I\u2019d like to answer; starting with one from TJ that reminded me people are justifiably and genuinely worried.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":32198,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-32180","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-solar-inverters","entry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nSecurity Jitters: Can They Hack My Solar Power System?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Most modern solar inverters are connected to the internet. 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After getting an increasing number of emails from Australians who were concerned at the thought of having\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Solar Inverters"","block_context":{"text":"Solar Inverters","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-inverters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Internet-connected solar inverter security","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/inverter-security.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/inverter-security.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/inverter-security.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/inverter-security.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":90903,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/sma-sungrow-growatt-security-mb3148\/","url_meta":{"origin":32180,"position":1},"title":"Solar Inverter Security: SMA, Sungrow, Growatt Flaws Exposed","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"March 31, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"A US-based cybersecurity firm has released a report detailing dozens of vulnerabilities it discovered in products from some of the world's major solar inverter manufacturers. But there's good news. With so many solar inverters now internet-connected, the risks associated with a mass takeover of systems by hackers looms large as\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Solar Inverters"","block_context":{"text":"Solar Inverters","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-inverters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Solar inverter security","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/solar-inverter-security.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/solar-inverter-security.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/solar-inverter-security.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/solar-inverter-security.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/solar-inverter-security.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":87507,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/sma-information-security-mb3028\/","url_meta":{"origin":32180,"position":2},"title":"SMA Scores Information Security Certification","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"October 14, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"With so many inverters connected to its online platform, German solar manufacturer SMA has been taking cyber-security seriously - and its efforts have been recognised. Most modern grid-connected solar inverters are also internet-connected, providing a potential avenue for those with nefarious intent to cause havoc, both to local systems and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Solar & Storage News"","block_context":{"text":"General Solar & Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"SMA and inverter cybersecurity","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/sma-inverter-cybersecurity.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/sma-inverter-cybersecurity.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/sma-inverter-cybersecurity.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/sma-inverter-cybersecurity.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/sma-inverter-cybersecurity.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":92193,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-batteries-inverters-security-mb3186\/","url_meta":{"origin":32180,"position":3},"title":"Solar Inverter Security Scare: Rogue Tech Or Political Theatre?","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"May 22, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"SolarQuotes has been receiving enquiries about a Reuters story published last week alleging the discovery of undocumented communication devices found in Chinese solar inverters and batteries in the USA. Is it something for Australian home solar owners to be worried about? It's been interesting watching this story repeated around the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Solar & Storage News"","block_context":{"text":"General Solar & Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A Chinese solar inverter","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/solar-inverter-security.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/solar-inverter-security.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/solar-inverter-security.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/solar-inverter-security.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/solar-inverter-security.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":71053,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/solar-inverter-life-expectancy-mb2825\/","url_meta":{"origin":32180,"position":4},"title":"What’s The Life Expectancy Of A Solar Inverter?","author":"Michael Bloch","date":"February 13, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Researchers in Switzerland have been keeping an eye on a bunch of old solar inverters and power optimizers to see how they are faring; with some interesting results. Solar panels tend to steal the limelight, but the real workhorse of a PV system is the solar inverter. This device takes\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "General Solar & Storage News"","block_context":{"text":"General Solar & Storage News","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-battery-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Solar inverter service life","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/solar-inverter-life-expectancy.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/solar-inverter-life-expectancy.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/solar-inverter-life-expectancy.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/solar-inverter-life-expectancy.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/02\/solar-inverter-life-expectancy.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1196,"url":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/samil-inverter-review-german-magazine-gives-top-marks\/","url_meta":{"origin":32180,"position":5},"title":"Samil Inverter Review: German magazine gives top marks","author":"Finn Peacock","date":"March 13, 2012","format":false,"excerpt":"Samil Inverters are very popular in Australia. They are great value, and have great specifications on paper. However I get a lot of emails asking me if this Chinese made solar inverter is any good. It is a fair question. The inverters are a lot cheaper than their German made\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Solar Inverters"","block_context":{"text":"Solar Inverters","link":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/category\/solar-inverters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Samil Power Solar River Inverter","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/03\/samil_power.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32180","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/23"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32180"}],"version-history":[{"count":11,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32180\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":32217,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32180\/revisions\/32217"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32198"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32180"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32180"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.solarquotes.com.au\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32180"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}