Yarbo, the company behind a robot lawn mower that was found to have serious security flaws, says it will remove a remote backdoor that previously allowed engineers to access and potentially reprogram devices over the internet.

The change follows a security researcher’s discovery that the system could be hijacked remotely, exposing user data and control vulnerabilities.

Initially, the company planned to keep limited remote access for troubleshooting, but it has now shifted to an opt-in model where users must explicitly enable it.

The firm says it will still allow temporary, user-initiated remote access if needed for support, but only through a setup process controlled by the customer, The Verge has reported.

Yarbo is also rolling out additional security fixes, including unique device passwords and firmware updates, while working with the researcher to verify improvements.