Whilst several exposed backdoors in various DSL (broadband) modems were disclosed by security researchers this past year, would be hackers required comparatively unfettered direct IP access to the apparatus to perform an assault. A French researcher has uncovered a string of wireless defects on DSL modems from Netgear, Linksys and other sellers. According to Eloi Vanderbeken, the wireless backdoor efficiently gives management degree access to attackers simply by resetting the configuration settings of the modem, so avoiding the firewall settings of the unit. The susceptibility especially influences public access WiFi services, SCMagazineUK.com notes, since these units were created to enable password-less access to the unit across wireless routes, prior to logging in. This raises the spectre of secret tracking of all user IP traffic because of this and an entire takeover of a public access WiFi hotspot.