True, hardware backdoors have been around forever. The difference here is a BIOS backdoor password has a somewhat legitimate reason. You can't just hit a reset button on your PC if you forget the BIOS credentials the way you can on your router.
Also, a router being programmed like this exposes every device routed through it, whereas a BIOS backdoor only gives you access to the single device to which you have physical access. My surprise comes from the gall of the manufacturers as they should be fully aware of these implications.
Also, a router being programmed like this exposes every device routed through it, whereas a BIOS backdoor only gives you access to the single device to which you have physical access. My surprise comes from the gall of the manufacturers as they should be fully aware of these implications.