# Is VNISH firmware safe to install?

> It is as safe as the discipline around it. Every published build carries a SHA-256 you verify yourself, the install runs locally from your own network, nothing is flashed remotely, and supported configurations have a documented path back to stock firmware.

Source: https://vnish.global/answers/is-vnish-firmware-safe · updated 2026-07-31

## What makes an install unsafe

- A file whose checksum is not published, so nothing can be compared.
- The wrong build for the control board.
- Unstable power, or no one on site who can power cycle the machine.
- A whole fleet flashed before a single machine has run for an hour.
- Credentials handed to a stranger, or to an assistant, on the way.

## What the vendor publishes so you can check

- SHA-256 for every downloadable build, listed in a public sums file and in the machine-readable catalog.
- An exact board route per model, so the file decision is not a guess.
- Rollback and recovery guides per route, including the Bitmain signature lock case from March 2024 onward and the Amlogic USB lock from September 2025.
- A published operator protocol for AI assistants with hard gates, so an assistant cannot talk you into flashing before you have verified anything.

## The one rule that prevents most damage

Verify the SHA-256 before the file touches the machine, and locate the rollback path before anything is written. Ten seconds and one browser tab.

## Where to go next

- Verify a downloaded build: https://vnish.global/guides/verify-sha256.html
- Rollback to stock: https://vnish.global/guides/rollback.html
- Recovery: https://vnish.global/guides/recovery.html

Release 1.3.6 stable. Builds are FREE OF CHARGE to download and test. Developer fee a small share of active hashrate, visible in the dashboard.