Could Your Printer Be A Trojan Horse? Researchers Say Yes!

snoopy · Nov 30, 2011

Could your printer be a Trojan horse? Researchers say yes!
by Don Reisinger November 29, 2011
10:24 AM PST

Although most people tend to think of printers as dumb boxes sitting by your desk, a new study from Columbia University researchers has found that they may be surprisingly vulnerable to sophisticated hacking attacks.

Speaking to MSNBC's Red Tape recently, the researchers said that Internet-connected printers could be used to steal personal data, access supposedly secure networks, or even to cause a fire through deliberate overheating.

The researchers, who studied HP's networked LaserJet printers, told MSNBC that the devices' "Remote Firmware Update" feature is acutely vulnerable to attack. That feature, which checks for software updates whenever a new printing job starts, could allow hackers to install customized firmware that would grant them full control of the printer. The printers studied by the Columbia team lack digital signatures and thus don't check the source of a firmware update--which makes it relatively easy for hackers to spoof the printer with malicious firmware.
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http:/ ews.cnet.com...rchers-say-yes/

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