This is a safety/interlock feature intended to prevent damage to the chip or programmer, but it often appears erroneously due to configuration or connection issues.
In Chinese repair forums (iFix, 51hei) and Russian hacker boards, refers to a specific pre-activated, no-dongle version of a commercial programmer’s firmware repurposed for ASProgrammer. This version bypasses license checks for high-end programmers (e.g., TL866II Plus). It is "hot" because it is pirated and widely sought after—a digital hot potato. asprogrammer 21013 hot