| Published | July 1, 2026 |
| Affected firmware | 8.0.0 BETA only |
| Affected products | 72M, 36M, 18R2 (rarely 18M, 6M, Audio Box) |
| Status | 8.0.1 available |
We've identified a known issue in the COBRA 8.0.0 BETA firmware that can, in a small number of cases, prevent a module from downloading its show script and arming. A patch (8.0.1) is now available. Below is who is affected, how to check your own equipment in about a minute, and how to get the fix.
| This only affects the 8.0.0 BETA firmware. If you are not running 8.0.0, this does not affect you and no action is needed. We're also emailing all customers about this today — you can read that announcement here: https://nexus.cobrafiringsystems.com/share/TGCBOZ_o__0p4X9ZOfmI-A. |
Who is affected
Only equipment running the 8.0.0 BETA firmware. Within that group, the issue is most likely to appear on 72M and 36M modules, and is very rare on other gear (18M, 6M, Audio Box). If you're not on 8.0.0, there's nothing to do — please don't update on account of this notice.
How to check if you're affected (about one minute)
You don't need to guess or update blindly — a quick dry run tells you for certain:
- Do a normal dry run of your show, just as you would before firing.
- If all of your modules arm and the ARM light on your remote goes solid, you're all set — no action needed.
- If a module does not arm — its ARM LED turns red when you arm the 18R2, and the ARM light on your 18R2 keeps blinking and never goes solid — that module is affected and will need the patch.
If it passes a dry run, it will stay fine. This issue can't appear later out of nowhere — a unit either has it or it doesn't. So if your equipment arms normally on a dry run, it will keep working.
The technical details
The 8.0 BETA changed how modules download and store their show script. Instead of modules downloading script data during the arming process, each module now downloads the entire script from the remote while it's in TEST mode and saves it to non-volatile memory (NVMe) — that pre-load is what makes arming in 8.0 so much faster.
During that download, every module reports back to the 18R2 using its own unique hardware (MAC) address. We found that a specific bit-pattern in a subset of modules' MAC addresses caused the download handshake to be misread by the receiving side. When that happens, the affected module never receives its script, so it never acknowledges back to the 18R2 that it has the show and is armed. That is why the module's ARM LED turns red when you arm and the 18R2's ARM light keeps blinking rather than going solid — the remote is still waiting to hear that every module is armed.
Because a unit's MAC address is fixed in hardware, the behavior is completely deterministic and testable: an affected unit reproduces it every single time, and a unit that tests clean cannot later develop it. The 8.0.1 patch changes how that address is encoded and parsed (in the module and remote firmware) so the download handshake is read correctly on every unit — no hardware change required.
The fix
We've released a patch, 8.0.1, that clears this issue on affected gear so you're ready for the 4th of July. This is an interim fix; the permanent fix will be included in an upcoming 8.0 BETA update. If you find an affected module using the check above, apply 8.0.1 with the instructions below, or reach out and we'll help you get it applied.
You only need 8.0.1 if you have an affected module (one that fails the check above). Either way, since you're on the BETA, we recommend installing that future 8.0 BETA update once it's available so you'll have the permanent fix.
How do I update?
| Important: If a dry run shows an affected module, update all of your 36M/72M modules and your 18R2 remote to 8.0.1 — the remote and every module it fires must be on matching firmware, so updating just the affected module isn't enough. |
The 8.0.1 firmware is available through the COBRA Reprogramming Software (CRS), which selects the correct version for your gear automatically. For the full 8.0.1 release notes and update options, see COBRA Firmware Version 8.0.1 HotFix Release. To apply the patch, follow the standard steps here: How to Upgrade COBRA Firmware.
If you prefer to use the older Portal reprogramming software, you can download the files at cobrafiringsystems.com/portal and select firmware version 8.0 from the list.
If you have 18M modules, updating your 18R2 remote to 8.0.1 also covers them — no separate 18M update is needed.
A thank-you to our beta testers
A sincere thank-you to everyone helping test the 8.0 BETA. Catching an issue like this before a wide release is exactly what beta testing is for, and we're grateful for your help. We apologize for any inconvenience, and we're committed to getting the fix out quickly.
If you have any questions, please contact us directly.
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