Milwaukee battery DRM: Difference between revisions
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{{CompanyCargo | |||
|Description=Milwaukee is an American multi-national company that develops, manufactures, and markets power tools, hand tools, tool storage, and more. | |||
|Founded=1924 | |||
|Industry=Tool Manufacturing | |||
|ParentCompany=Techtronic Industries Company Limited | |||
|Type=Public | |||
|Website=https://www.milwaukeetool.com/ | |||
}} | |||
{{IncidentCargo | {{IncidentCargo | ||
|Company=Milwaukee, TTI | |Company=Milwaukee, TTI | ||
|StartDate=August 2024 | |||
|EndDate= | |||
|Status=Active | |Status=Active | ||
|ProductLine= | |ProductLine=M18 tools | ||
|Product= | |Product=M18 batteries | ||
|ArticleType= | |ArticleType=Incident | ||
|Type=Digital Restrictions, Planned Obsolescence | |||
|Description=Undisclosed digital rights management (DRM) and diagnostic tracking in Milwaukee M18 batteries allegedly used in warranty claim denials. | |Description=Undisclosed digital rights management (DRM) and diagnostic tracking in Milwaukee M18 batteries allegedly used in warranty claim denials. | ||
}} | }} | ||
Milwaukee Tool, a subsidiary of Techtronic Industries (TTI), produces the M18 line of lithium-ion batteries for use with its cordless power tools. These batteries incorporate an embedded system marketed as '''REDLINK™ Intelligence''', which allows the battery & charger to communicate for monitoring of conditions such as cell voltage, pack temperature, & charge status.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/Batteries-and-Chargers |title=Power Tool Batteries: M12, M18 – Milwaukee Tool |website=Milwaukee Tool |access-date=2025-09-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250114012041/https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/Batteries-and-Chargers |archive-date=2025-01-14}}</ref> | Milwaukee Tool, a subsidiary of Techtronic Industries (TTI), produces the M18 line of lithium-ion batteries for use with its cordless power tools. These batteries incorporate an embedded system marketed as '''REDLINK™ Intelligence''', which allows the battery & charger to communicate for monitoring of conditions such as cell voltage, pack temperature, & charge status.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/Batteries-and-Chargers |title=Power Tool Batteries: M12, M18 – Milwaukee Tool |website=Milwaukee Tool |access-date=2025-09-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250114012041/https://www.milwaukeetool.com/Products/Batteries-and-Chargers |archive-date=2025-01-14}}</ref> | ||
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==Incident== | ==Incident== | ||
[[File:Tool Scientist - Full M18 diagnostics revealed - Spreadsheet 16m07s.png|thumb|Milwaukee Battery Diagnostic Readout]] | [[File:Tool Scientist - Full M18 diagnostics revealed - Spreadsheet 16m07s.png|thumb|Milwaukee Battery Diagnostic Readout]] | ||
In August 2024, an independent YouTube investigation demonstrated that Milwaukee M18 batteries store hundreds of bytes of hidden diagnostic data. These logs include over 50 different statistics, such as counts of over-current events, over-temperature events, cell voltage imbalances with millivolt precision, low-voltage cutoffs, total discharge statistics, total charge time, time on charger whilst full, etc. The data can be accessed through undocumented serial commands but is not disclosed in user manuals.<ref name="TSYT">{{Cite web |date=2025-09-13|author=Tool Scientist|title=Full M18 diagnostics revealed |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHj0-Gzvbeo |url-status=live |website=YouTube}}</ref> | In August 2024, an independent YouTube investigation demonstrated that Milwaukee M18 batteries store hundreds of bytes of hidden diagnostic data. These logs include over 50 different statistics, such as counts of over-current events, over-temperature events, cell voltage imbalances with millivolt precision, low-voltage cutoffs, total discharge statistics, total charge time, time on charger whilst full, etc. The data can be accessed through undocumented serial commands but is not disclosed in user manuals.<ref name="TSYT">{{Cite web |date=2025-09-13|author=Tool Scientist|title=Full M18 diagnostics revealed |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHj0-Gzvbeo |url-status=live |website=YouTube |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=tHj0-Gzvbeo |archive-date=23 Feb 2026}}</ref> | ||
Community reverse-engineering reports published on Hackaday also documented communication traces between batteries & chargers, confirming that undocumented registers store diagnostic histories not available through consumer interfaces.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://hackaday.com/2023/09/15/reverse-engineering-the-milwaukee-m18-redlink-protocol/ |title=Reverse Engineering the Milwaukee M18 REDLINK Protocol |website=Hackaday |date=2023-09-15 |access-date=2025-09-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240104104402/https://hackaday.com/2023/09/15/reverse-engineering-the-milwaukee-m18-redlink-protocol/ |archive-date=2024-01-04}}</ref> | Community reverse-engineering reports published on Hackaday also documented communication traces between batteries & chargers, confirming that undocumented registers store diagnostic histories not available through consumer interfaces.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://hackaday.com/2023/09/15/reverse-engineering-the-milwaukee-m18-redlink-protocol/ |title=Reverse Engineering the Milwaukee M18 REDLINK Protocol |website=Hackaday |date=2023-09-15 |access-date=2025-09-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240104104402/https://hackaday.com/2023/09/15/reverse-engineering-the-milwaukee-m18-redlink-protocol/ |archive-date=2024-01-04}}</ref> | ||
Some consumers reported that warranty claims were denied when diagnostic data showed overheating events. In online complaints, users alleged that leaving a battery inside a vehicle in hot weather resulted in warranty denial.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Tools/comments/17t5d3s/milwaukee_battery_warranty_denied_due_to/ |title=Milwaukee Battery Warranty Denied Due to Overheating |website=Reddit |date=2023-11-21 |access-date=2025-09-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240121104533/https://www.reddit.com/r/Tools/comments/17t5d3s/milwaukee_battery_warranty_denied_due_to/ |archive-date=2024-01-21}}</ref> | Some consumers reported that warranty claims were denied when diagnostic data showed overheating events. In online complaints, users alleged that leaving a battery inside a vehicle in hot weather resulted in warranty denial.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/Tools/comments/17t5d3s/milwaukee_battery_warranty_denied_due_to/ |title=Milwaukee Battery Warranty Denied Due to Overheating |website=Reddit |date=2023-11-21 |access-date=2025-09-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240121104533/https://www.reddit.com/r/Tools/comments/17t5d3s/milwaukee_battery_warranty_denied_due_to/ |archive-date=2024-01-21}}</ref> | ||
==Legal context== | ==Legal context== | ||
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==Industry comparison== | ==Industry comparison== | ||
The use of embedded diagnostic counters is not unique to Milwaukee. Reports indicate that competing brands such as Makita have implemented similar protocols in their lithium-ion batteries.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://hackaday.com/2024/01/22/makita-battery-protocol-reversed/ |title=Makita Battery Protocol Reversed |website=Hackaday |date=2024-01-22 |access-date=2025-09-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240712104842/https://hackaday.com/2024/01/22/makita-battery-protocol-reversed/ |archive-date=2024-07-12}}</ref> Ryobi (which is owned by Techtronic Industries, which is the same parent company that owns Milwaukee) also uses the same embedded diagnostics in their batteries.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Badar's Workshop |date=2025-08-25|title=Ryobi Doesn't Want You To Know |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQ_lyDyzEHY |url-status=live |access-date=2025-09-15|website=YouTube}}</ref> The YouTube channel Badar's Workshop, was able to purchase 30 non-functioning or bricked Ryobi batteries on Ebay and got them all working again by simply flashing the code from a non-bricked Ryobi battery onto the bricked batteries ie. no physical repair was necessary, it was simply the DRM which prevented the batteries from being recognised by the Ryobi charger and receiving a charge.<ref>{{Cite web |first=Badar | The use of embedded diagnostic counters is not unique to Milwaukee. Reports indicate that competing brands such as Makita have implemented similar protocols in their lithium-ion batteries.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://hackaday.com/2024/01/22/makita-battery-protocol-reversed/ |title=Makita Battery Protocol Reversed |website=Hackaday |date=2024-01-22 |access-date=2025-09-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240712104842/https://hackaday.com/2024/01/22/makita-battery-protocol-reversed/ |archive-date=2024-07-12}}</ref> Ryobi (which is owned by Techtronic Industries, which is the same parent company that owns Milwaukee) also uses the same embedded diagnostics in their batteries.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Badar's Workshop |date=2025-08-25|title=Ryobi Doesn't Want You To Know |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQ_lyDyzEHY |url-status=live |access-date=2025-09-15|website=YouTube |archive-url=https://preservetube.com/watch?v=NQ_lyDyzEHY |archive-date=23 Feb 2026}}</ref> The YouTube channel Badar's Workshop, was able to purchase 30 non-functioning or bricked Ryobi batteries on Ebay and got them all working again by simply flashing the code from a non-bricked Ryobi battery onto the bricked batteries ie. no physical repair was necessary, it was simply the DRM which prevented the batteries from being recognised by the Ryobi charger and receiving a charge.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kayani |first=Badar Jahangir |date=24 Aug 2025 |title=Ryobi Battery Repair Guide |url=https://badar.tech/2025/08/24/ryobi-battery-repair-guide/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250915030330/https://badar.tech/2025/08/24/ryobi-battery-repair-guide/ |archive-date=15 Sep 2025 |access-date=15 Sep 2025 |website=badar.tech}}</ref> | ||
==Company response== | ==Company response== | ||
