https://www.theverge.com/2019/4/30/18523701/huawei-vodafone-...
Was that disproven?
It was never proven to begin with. Like any good backdoor it "could simply have been a mistake" (deniability).
Vodafone, the company that Bloomberg claims was targeted by these backdoors, publicly contradicted Bloomberg. They pointed out that the diagnostic software did not allow unauthorized access:
> The 'backdoor' that Bloomberg refers to is Telnet, which is a protocol that is commonly used by many vendors in the industry for performing diagnostic functions. It would not have been accessible from the internet.
> Bloomberg is incorrect in saying that this 'could have given Huawei unauthorised access to the carrier's fixed-line network in Italy'.[1]
Huawei routers had Telnet installed on them, which is completely standard. Vodafone, the company that was supposedly targeted, disputed Bloomberg's characterization of standard diagnostic software as a "backdoor":
> The 'backdoor' that Bloomberg refers to is Telnet, which is a protocol that is commonly used by many vendors in the industry for performing diagnostic functions. It would not have been accessible from the internet.[1]
This is not the first time Bloomberg has made sensationalist claims about Chinese backdoors. This one fell apart with even the lightest of scrutiny. One wonders if the Bloomberg reporter even understood what Telnet is.
I think the EU is playing this very smart because Huawei would not open its tech to security inspections without some pressure.