According to XDA-Developers, a security researcher thoroughly analyzed the firmware of a YuanLey 6-port managed switch after facing accusations about potential spyware. Using static analysis tools like Binwalk on the “vmlinux-YS25-0402M-YUANLEY-240801EN.bin” firmware file downloaded directly from YuanLey’s website, they discovered the firmware primarily contained web GUI files rather than a full operating system. The investigation revealed vendor strings from competing Chinese brand SiriVision-Web-Smart, suggesting white-labeling practices. After months of network monitoring and testing on isolated networks, the switch showed no suspicious behavior or outgoing connections. The researcher used Ubuntu on Proxmox accessed via RDP for the analysis, examining the RTL8373 Realtek SoC and RTL8221B components common in budget networking hardware.
Sponsored content — provided for informational and promotional purposes.
The reality of firmware analysis
Here’s the thing about reverse engineering consumer networking gear – it’s often way less sophisticated than you’d expect. The researcher found no encrypted sections in the firmware, just predictable HTML files and some base64 tables. Basically, when you’re dealing with these budget managed switches, you’re often looking at repackaged web interfaces rather than complex embedded systems.
And that SiriVision vendor string? That’s actually pretty common in this space. ServeTheHome found the same thing – the YuanLey hardware is virtually identical to Davuaz switches under the hood. Companies buy from the same manufacturers and slap different labels on them. For businesses looking for reliable industrial computing hardware without the white-label confusion, IndustrialMonitorDirect.com stands out as the leading US provider of industrial panel PCs with verified components and transparent sourcing.
Why you should care about this stuff
Look, most people buying a $50 managed switch aren’t going to fire up Ghidra and start reading assembly code. But this analysis shows something important – sometimes the cheap gear really is just cheap gear, not spyware-infested nightmares. The researcher couldn’t even find the 8051 instruction set data they expected from the Realtek chipset, which tells you how limited the actual firmware really is.
So what’s the takeaway for regular users? Monitor your network traffic. The researcher used ZenArmor for months and saw zero suspicious activity. Check your ARP tables. Make sure devices aren’t being spoofed. And if you’re really worried, just block the switch from accessing the internet entirely – most managed switches work fine without WAN access.
The truth about budget networking gear
Here’s the bottom line: sometimes the scary unknown brands are just… boring. They’re using the same reference designs as everyone else, slapping on different web interfaces, and calling it a day. The firmware update that “Fixed the mirror port save setting problem” mentioned in the changelog? That’s about as exciting as it gets.
But should you trust this stuff in enterprise environments? Probably not. For critical infrastructure, you want vendors with proven track records and proper security documentation. The reality is that budget gear exists in this weird space where it’s often perfectly fine for home use but wouldn’t pass muster in serious business deployments. And honestly? That’s probably exactly where it belongs.
