Full research report
FCC Blocks New Foreign-Produced Robots and Power Inverters Over Cyber Risks
Executive assessment
The FCC's 28 July 2026 Covered List action is a preventive supply-chain measure grounded in published security research, not a response to an observed active exploitation campaign. The two cited robot CVEs are real and independently confirmed across NVD and the GitHub Advisory Database: CVE-2025-2894 documented a hidden remote-access service in the Unitree Go1 with no vendor patch and approximately 2,000 units internet-exposed at disclosure, while CVE-2025-35027 is a higher-severity BLE command-injection flaw affecting four Unitree platforms for which a fully functional public exploit (UniPwn) is freely accessible and the vendor has not committed to a near-term patch. The wormable nature of CVE-2025-35027 — where a compromised robot can autonomously target adjacent Unitree devices over Bluetooth — is the most operationally distinctive element for defenders. The Forescout SUN:DOWN inverter research, which pre-dates the FCC action by approximately 16 months, identified 46 flaws across three major manufacturers; all three vendors have since patched the reported issues, making the inverter risk posture materially better than the robot risk posture, where no patch exists and public exploit code is available.
What happened
On 28 July 2026, the FCC added foreign-produced mobile robots and networked power inverters to its Covered List, following national security determinations issued by an Executive Branch interagency body the previous day. The action prevents new models in both categories from obtaining the equipment authorisation required for import, marketing, or sale in the United States; previously authorised models and devices already owned by consumers are unaffected. It is the third category-wide Covered List action after foreign-produced drones (December 2025) and consumer routers (March 2026). The FCC simultaneously granted a blanket waiver permitting security and compatibility firmware updates for previously authorised covered equipment through at least 1 January 2029.
Affected scope
All foreign-produced mobile robots exceeding defined technical thresholds (over 4.4 lbs, capable of autonomous navigation, carrying an environmental sensor, and supporting network connectivity at 200 kbps or faster) and all foreign-produced networked power inverters (AC/DC conversion systems with remote communication capability). Supporting evidence named Unitree Go1 (CVE-2025-2894) and Unitree Go2, G1, H1, and B2 (CVE-2025-35027) for the robot category, and Sungrow, SMA, and Growatt products for the inverter category. Medical and mobility devices, uncrewed aircraft, road vehicles, underwater vehicles, rail equipment, and fixed industrial arms are excluded.
Technical assessment
The two cited robot CVEs represent distinct attack surfaces. CVE-2025-2894 (CVSS 6.6, CWE-912) describes an undocumented persistent tunnel via the CloudSail remote-access service embedded in Go1 firmware, granting full remote control — including movement, camera and audio access, and network traversal — to any party holding the relevant API key. Approximately 2,000 units were discoverable on the CloudSail network at the March 2025 disclosure, including academic deployments. Unitree invalidated the specific API key used in the original research but has not released a firmware patch. CVE-2025-35027 (CVSS 7.3, CWE-78) chains hardcoded cryptographic keys, trivial authentication, and an unsanitised BLE WiFi-configuration field to achieve root-level command execution on Go2, G1, H1, and B2 units; a working exploit (UniPwn) is publicly available. The attack requires proximity within BLE range but is described as wormable to other Unitree robots in range. No official patch exists for affected firmware versions. For inverters, Forescout's SUN:DOWN research documented 46 new flaws across three manufacturers capable of enabling fleet manipulation and grid destabilisation; all three vendors subsequently patched the disclosed flaws and no exploitation of deployed grid infrastructure was confirmed.
Recommended defensive actions
- Inventory all foreign-produced mobile robots and networked power inverters in your environment against the FCC technical thresholds to determine Covered List applicability and import/sale restrictions.
- Isolate Unitree Go1 units from internet access at the network boundary to block CloudSail tunnel establishment; no vendor patch for CVE-2025-2894 is available, making network controls the primary mitigation.
- Restrict BLE pairing on Unitree Go2, G1, H1, and B2 units to authorised devices only, and disable BLE where operationally feasible, to mitigate CVE-2025-35027; no vendor patch is available for firmware Go2/B2 ≤1.1.8 or G1/H1 ≤1.4.4.
- Verify solar inverter firmware currency for Sungrow, SMA, and Growatt deployments by checking patch versions against each vendor's published advisories for the SUN:DOWN-disclosed flaws.
- Monitor the FCC Conditional Approval process if your organisation procures or sells affected equipment; application deadline is 1 January 2028, with DoW and DHS as approving authorities.
Uncertainties and evidence gaps
- Unitree has not released an official patch for CVE-2025-35027; the vendor stated in July 2025 that a remediation may take years, leaving a critical gap for operators of affected firmware versions.
- The FCC inverter determination cites a case in which a foreign manufacturer remotely disabled inverters after a commercial dispute but does not name the company, preventing independent verification of the incident.
- The FCC determinations define coverage by technical thresholds rather than by a named manufacturer or model list, leaving some product classifications ambiguous until the FCC publishes further guidance.
- NIST has not yet provided an independent CVSS assessment for either CVE; both scores are currently assigned by Austin Hackers Anonymous as the CNA, and the Go1 EPSS score (57th percentile) is notably low relative to its perceived risk.
Vulnerability flow
Defender-oriented path reconstructed only from sourced report findings. Unknown stages are omitted.
No confirmed active exploitation of deployed robots or inverters identified; the FCC action is explicitly framed as preventive. Public proof-of-concept exploit code exists for CVE-2025-35027 (UniPwn repository), and CVE-2025-2894 has publicly referenced exploit code; both vulnerabilities have no official vendor patch.
Investigation began by verifying the FCC regulatory action date, scope, and cited evidence through independent sources after the FCC's own web pages returned HTTP 403. Both CVEs were confirmed via NVD and the GitHub Advisory Database. The UniPwn public exploit repository was verified as a live proof-of-concept. Forescout's SUN:DOWN press release confirmed the inverter research cited in the determination. The weight of independently verified primary sources supports a high-confidence assessment that this is a real regulatory action grounded in confirmed published vulnerabilities, with no confirmed active exploitation of deployed units.
- What did the FCC add to the Covered List, when, and on what grounds?Searched for FCC Covered List mobile robots power inverters July 2026 national security
FCC added foreign-produced advanced robotic devices and networked power inverters on 28 July 2026 following national security determinations from an Executive Branch interagency body issued 27 July 2026. New models cannot receive equipment authorisation; previously authorised models and consumer-owned devices are unaffected.
why Established the regulatory event, its date, and its scope before investigating cited CVEs and research.
- Is CVE-2025-2894 a confirmed, documented vulnerability with accurate severity details?Searched for CVE-2025-2894 Unitree Go1 CloudSail, then fetched NVD and GitHub Advisory recordsnvd.nist.gov ↗
CVE-2025-2894 confirmed in NVD: CWE-912 hidden functionality in Go1 firmware enabling full remote control via CloudSail to any API-key holder. CVSS 6.6. Approximately 2,000 units discoverable at disclosure including academic institutions. No vendor patch; public exploit references documented.
why Confirmed the CVE is real and NVD-documented, assessed its severity as moderate, and noted the absence of a vendor patch — critical for defensive guidance.
- Is CVE-2025-35027 confirmed, and is the public exploit real?Searched for CVE-2025-35027 UniPwn Unitree BLE, then fetched NVD entrynvd.nist.gov ↗
CVE-2025-35027 confirmed: CWE-78 OS command injection via BLE in Go2, G1, H1, B2 firmware. CVSS 7.3. Affected firmware: Go2/B2 ≤1.1.8, G1/H1 ≤1.4.4. NIST has not provided an independent score; CNA-assigned. Vendor stated fix may take years.
why Confirmed severity, precise affected versions, and the absence of a vendor patch — the most operationally urgent finding for defenders.
- Is the UniPwn repository a live, accessible public exploit or merely a report?Fetched the UniPwn GitHub repositorygithub.com ↗
Repository confirmed live and publicly accessible; contains working exploit code, Android APK, and Python framework. References CVE-2025-35027 and three additional CVEs (CVE-2025-60017, CVE-2025-60250, CVE-2025-60251). Self-described as the first publicly disclosed exploit targeting humanoid robots.
why Verified that weaponisable exploit code is freely accessible, elevating the operational risk of CVE-2025-35027 beyond what CVSS alone reflects.
- Is the Forescout SUN:DOWN inverter research real and what did it find?Searched for Forescout SUN:DOWN solar inverter vulnerabilities Sungrow SMA Growatt, then fetched the Forescout press releaseforescout.com ↗
SUN:DOWN confirmed as Forescout Vedere Labs research identifying 46 new flaws across Sungrow, Growatt, and SMA. 80% of solar inverter CVEs disclosed over three years were high or critical. All three vendors patched the reported flaws following responsible disclosure. No confirmed exploitation of deployed grid infrastructure identified.
why Confirmed the inverter research cited in the FCC determination is real and published, and established that vendors had already patched — distinguishing the regulatory action as preventive rather than incident-driven.
- Can the FCC's own documents confirm the official action text and waiver terms?Fetched the FCC official Covered List document pagefcc.gov ↗
HTTP 403 Forbidden returned; no content retrieved. FCC FAQ page also returned 403.
why Identified a gap requiring alternative corroboration for the regulatory scope and waiver terms.
- Does an independently accessible source corroborate the FCC action scope and timeline?Fetched the Wiley Law firm alert on the FCC Covered List additionwiley.law ↗
Wiley Law confirmed: effective date 28 July 2026; robot definition (>4.4 lbs, >200 kbps, environmental sensor, autonomous software); inverter definition (AC/DC conversion with remote connectivity); blanket firmware waiver through 1 January 2029; Conditional Approval application deadline 1 January 2028.
why Provided an independently verifiable source confirming the regulatory scope, replacing the inaccessible FCC pages with sufficient detail for the assessment.
- Are the CVE-2025-35027 GitHub Advisory details consistent with NVD and the UniPwn repository?Fetched the GitHub Advisory Database entry GHSA-27p8-m7h9-xchcgithub.com ↗
Advisory consistent with NVD: confirms BLE command injection chain, root execution via wpa_supplicant_restart.sh, wormability across BLE range, and no official patch. Cross-references the UniPwn repository as the exploit source.
why Independent corroboration from a second primary source for the CVE details, confirming consistency across NVD, GitHub Advisory, and the exploit repository.
Research coverage
All 68 registered source leaves were evaluated for this run: 61 completed, 0 were unavailable, 0 failed and 7 were disabled. For this story, 2 registered sources supplied useful evidence (2 primary, 0 corroborating, 0 contextual and 0 PoC/exploit references). 59 completed sources contained no matched information for this story.
Complete source-by-source audit 68 sources
| Source | Run result | Value | Why it was useful — or not |
|---|---|---|---|
| NVDcve | ok900 records | Primary evidence2 matched items | Supplied a vendor or government advisory opened and verified during focused research. |
| The Hacker Newsnews | ok11 records | Primary evidence1 matched items | Published the source report used to frame and date the event. |
| AlienVault OTXdark_web | ok10 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| BleepingComputernews | ok10 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| CIRCL CVEcve | ok30 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| CISA Alertsnews | ok empty0 records | Checked — no match | The source completed but returned no records in the collection scope. |
| CISA KEVkev | ok1656 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| Cisco PSIRTvendor_advisory | ok5309 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| Cisco Talosnews | ok2 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| deepdarkCTI CVE most exploiteddeepdarkcti | ok94 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| deepdarkCTI Discorddeepdarkcti | ok7 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| deepdarkCTI exploitsdeepdarkcti | ok24 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| deepdarkCTI forumsdeepdarkcti | ok260 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| deepdarkCTI malware as a servicedeepdarkcti | ok7 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| deepdarkCTI malware samplesdeepdarkcti | ok3 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| deepdarkCTI marketsdeepdarkcti | ok127 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| deepdarkCTI phishingdeepdarkcti | ok19 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| deepdarkCTI ransomware gangsdeepdarkcti | ok667 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| deepdarkCTI RATsdeepdarkcti | ok1 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| deepdarkCTI Telegram infostealerdeepdarkcti | ok130 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| deepdarkCTI Telegram threat actorsdeepdarkcti | ok1006 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| deepdarkCTI Twitter threat actorsdeepdarkcti | ok39 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| DNSDumpster domain IOC enrichmentresearch | ok1 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| Exploit-DBexploit_reference | ok empty0 records | Checked — no match | The source completed but returned no records in the collection scope. |
| FIRST EPSSepss | ok7136 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| Fortinet PSIRTvendor_advisory | disabled | Disabled | Disabled in the source registry; no check was attempted. |
| GitHub topic: cveresearch | ok empty0 records | Checked — no match | The source completed but returned no records in the collection scope. |
| GitHub topic: exploitresearch | ok empty0 records | Checked — no match | The source completed but returned no records in the collection scope. |
| GitHub topic: penetration-testingresearch | ok empty0 records | Checked — no match | The source completed but returned no records in the collection scope. |
| GitHub topic: pocresearch | ok empty0 records | Checked — no match | The source completed but returned no records in the collection scope. |
| GitHub topic: vulnerabilityresearch | ok empty0 records | Checked — no match | The source completed but returned no records in the collection scope. |
| GreyNoiseexploit_reference | ok empty0 records | Checked — no match | The source completed but returned no records in the collection scope. |
| KrebsOnSecuritynews | ok1 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| LinkedIn RSS proxy feeds (disabled)research | disabled | Disabled | Disabled in the source registry; no check was attempted. |
| MalwareBazaardark_web | ok1 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| Mastodon #cveresearch | ok20 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| Mastodon #cybersecurityresearch | ok19 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| Mastodon #exploitresearch | ok10 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| Mastodon #infosecresearch | ok20 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| Mastodon #malwareresearch | ok19 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| Mastodon #ransomwareresearch | ok20 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| Mastodon #threatintelresearch | ok13 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| Mastodon #vulnerabilityresearch | ok20 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| Metasploit module metadataexploit_reference | ok empty0 records | Checked — no match | The source completed but returned no records in the collection scope. |
| Microsoft MSRCvendor_advisory | ok1588 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| Microsoft Securitynews | ok1 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| MISP Galaxyresearch | ok empty0 records | Checked — no match | The source completed but returned no records in the collection scope. |
| MISP threat actor galaxyactor | ok0 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| Palo Alto Networks PSIRTvendor_advisory | ok25 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| ProjectDiscovery nuclei templatesexploit_reference | ok empty0 records | Checked — no match | The source completed but returned no records in the collection scope. |
| Rapid7news | ok4 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| Reddit r/AskNetsec (pending API approval)research | disabled | Disabled | Disabled in the source registry; no check was attempted. |
| Reddit r/cybersecurity (pending API approval)research | disabled | Disabled | Disabled in the source registry; no check was attempted. |
| Reddit r/malware (pending API approval)research | disabled | Disabled | Disabled in the source registry; no check was attempted. |
| Reddit r/netsec (pending API approval)research | disabled | Disabled | Disabled in the source registry; no check was attempted. |
| Reddit r/ReverseEngineering (pending API approval)research | disabled | Disabled | Disabled in the source registry; no check was attempted. |
| SANS ISCnews | ok1 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| Shadowserver public aggregate honeypot observationsexploit_reference | ok empty0 records | Checked — no match | The source completed but returned no records in the collection scope. |
| Shodanresearch | ok empty0 records | Checked — no match | The source completed but returned no records in the collection scope. |
| Sigma Rulesresearch | ok empty0 records | Checked — no match | The source completed but returned no records in the collection scope. |
| Sophos IOCsresearch | ok empty0 records | Checked — no match | The source completed but returned no records in the collection scope. |
| ThreatFoxthreat_intelligence | ok100 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| UK NCSCnews | ok empty0 records | Checked — no match | The source completed but returned no records in the collection scope. |
| Unit42 IOCsresearch | ok empty0 records | Checked — no match | The source completed but returned no records in the collection scope. |
| URLhausdark_web | ok10 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| VirusTotal Community IOC enrichmentresearch | ok4 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| VulnCheck KEVkev | ok500 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
| Vulnerability Lookupcve | ok30 records | Checked — no match | The source completed, but none of its retained records matched this story. |
Additional verified pages 7 opened outside the registered collection
PoC & exploit code2
Verified live public PoC containing exploit code, Android APK, and Python framework achieving root execution via BLE command injection; wormable across BLE range
Advisory documents the Go1 CloudSail undocumented backdoor and references external public exploit code
Vendor & gov advisories4
Confirms CWE-912 hidden functionality, CVSS 6.6, affected firmware 2022_05_11_e0d0e617, no patch documented
Confirms CWE-78 command injection, CVSS 7.3, affected firmware versions, no patch documented; NIST has not yet provided an independent CVSS assessment
Independent legal analysis confirming FCC action scope, effective date, blanket firmware waiver, and Conditional Approval timeline
Primary source confirming 46-flaw solar inverter research cited in the FCC inverter national security determination; all vendors patched
Analysis & research1
Confirms BLE command injection chain details, wormability claim, and absence of an official vendor patch