Xs4all is going to close a leak in FritzBox modems remotely

In the coming weeks, Xs4all will automatically provide customers’ FritzBox modems with the latest firmware. The internet provider has decided to do this after it was previously known that many of these modems are vulnerable to misuse.

According to Xs4all, customers with a vulnerable FritzBox modem do not need to take any action themselves. The update will be performed automatically in the coming weeks on the FritzBox modems registered with the provider. Xs4all states that all settings are saved and that customers can still manage their modem themselves after the update.

Earlier, the provider called on customers to install the update. Several users will have done so in the meantime. For this group, and for customers who prefer to perform the update at a self-chosen time, Xs4all has a way to exclude a modem from the automatic update procedure.

At the beginning of this month, it was announced that customers of Xs4all had fallen victim to a problem with the FritzBox routers that the provider uses. Malicious persons could find out the router’s password and call expensive telephone numbers, among other things, resulting in sky-high bills for customers. Incidentally, the problem applies to all users of the relevant routers, not just the customers of Xs4all.