Hackers Could Trigger Your Printer to Overheat (or Worse)

[exfileme]

Your HP LaserJet printer could be a likely target by hackers intent on creating physical damage, not just financial damage.

Hackers Could Trigger Your Printer to Overheat (or Worse) : Read more

 

[Guest]

No customer has reported unauthorized access. Speculation regarding
potential for devices to catch fire due to a firmware change is false.

As if they'd recognize a hack versus hardware just failing...

 

[dogman_1234]

My printer is always off. Saves power. Oh, yeah...and a hacker would be much better off faxing black paper to you. Ink is expensive a hell!

 

[Guest]

It's called Toner Bombing. People find internet connected printers (or a printer within the network) and they send a massive amount of prints in full page, pure black.

University of Waterloo had it happen on campus just a while back.

 

[LuckyDucky7]

I don't know if this will ever be released, but I want a copy of this exploitative program.
Not to hack printers (though that would be good for a laugh), but for personal use.

Why? Because then I can buy one of these printers, flash it and urn it into an all-in-one "internet device". Then make the firmware available to others so they can do the same.

Printer, routing device, firewall, automatic downloader (though you'd also have to have a NAS device to save those files to), wireless AP (some printers have wireless NICs), scanner/copier (some, not all)- all available from any device you can think of, anywhere in the world.

I mean- you have to buy these devices separately.
Why not just make them into separate modules and sell that as the definitive Internet device?

 

[Dacatak]

Printers don't overheat, they just revert to their true nature, as they are designed in hell.

 

[danwat1234]

Suprised the researchers didn't realize that HP's laserjet printers have a physical breaker to prevent overheating.

 

[captaincharisma]

[citation][nom]TigerTurkey[/nom]As if they'd recognize a hack versus hardware just failing...[/citation]

and when it comes to HP products its harder to recognize something like that

 

[guru_urug]

Could a hacker also...say get control of ur CPU frequency control? And maybe overclock your ur cpu/gpu so high that it burns out?

 

[LuckyDucky7]

@guru_urug

That attack concept is already 5 years old. And to burn stuff up you need to modify voltages, not frequencies.

By the way- they had a virus that deleted the BIOS of a machine in 1998.

 

[Dacatak]

[citation][nom]Dacatak[/nom]Printers don't overheat, they just revert to their true nature, as they are designed in hell.[/citation]

[citation][nom]otacon72[/nom]Um....ok?[/citation]


http/theoatmeal.com/comics/printers

 

[joytech22]

So then.. They won't be changing my current printers "functionality" by much then will they..
InkJet ftw.. Unless they send me a rainbow coloured page, this ink is expensive as hell..

 

[ojas]

seemingly lame research...anyway this is what i found interesting in the article:

1) HP promptly responded to the findings, acknowledging problems and at the same time said "hey, your research is crap" where it was deserved.
2)

In some Linux or Mac environments, it may be possible for a specially formatted corrupt print job to trigger a firmware upgrade.

weren't those claimed to be "safer" than windows? lol.

 

[K2N hater]

What sort of hacker would actually do it?

 

[ojas]

[citation][nom]K2N hater[/nom]What sort of hacker would actually do it?[/citation]
No one, because they can't really. (see HP's reply)

 

[LORD_ORION]

[citation][nom]LuckyDucky7[/nom]@guru_urugThat attack concept is already 5 years old. And to burn stuff up you need to modify voltages, not frequencies.By the way- they had a virus that deleted the BIOS of a machine in 1998.[/citation]
[citation][nom]LuckyDucky7[/nom]I don't know if this will ever be released, but I want a copy of this exploitative program.Not to hack printers (though that would be good for a laugh), but for personal use.Why? Because then I can buy one of these printers, flash it and urn it into an all-in-one "internet device". Then make the firmware available to others so they can do the same.Printer, routing device, firewall, automatic downloader (though you'd also have to have a NAS device to save those files to), wireless AP (some printers have wireless NICs), scanner/copier (some, not all)- all available from any device you can think of, anywhere in the world.I mean- you have to buy these devices separately. Why not just make them into separate modules and sell that as the definitive Internet device?[/citation]

LOL classic

 

[Supertrek32]

I'd be most worried about a hacked firmware that echoes print jobs over the network to anyone wanting to listen. I'm sure there are plenty of corporate/government documents that potential hackers would love to get their hands on.

 

[eddieroolz]

Easy prevention: simply unplug the printer when not in use.