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In an alarming discovery, security researchers have uncovered a major vulnerability affecting hundreds of printer models from Brother and several other leading manufacturers, including Fujifilm, Toshiba, and Konica Minolta. This flaw allows remote attackers to generate default administrator passwords, granting them full control over affected devices. Even more concerning, the flaw cannot be patched with firmware updates on existing hardware, posing a significant security risk for organizations still using these printers. This article breaks down the technical details of the vulnerability, its potential consequences, and what users and IT teams must do to safeguard their networks.
Understanding the Vulnerability: Whatās at Stake?
Researchers at Rapid7 identified eight separate vulnerabilities in Brother printer hardware, with the most severe being CVE-2024-51978. This particular flaw enables unauthenticated attackers to derive the default admin password remotely by exploiting weaknesses in the printerās password generation algorithm. This affects 689 Brother printer models and an additional 53 models from other manufacturers such as Fujifilm (46 models), Konica Minolta (6), Ricoh (5), and Toshiba (2).
The core issue lies in how default administrator passwords are generated during manufacturing. Using a method based on the deviceās serial number combined with a static “salt,” the algorithm produces passwords that are easily reversible. Attackers can leak the printerās serial number via other vulnerabilities (like CVE-2024-51977), then use the known algorithm to generate the admin password and gain full administrative access.
Once inside, an attacker can reconfigure the printer, access stored data such as scans and address books, execute remote code, or extract credentials for other connected services. Some of these linked vulnerabilities allow attackers to crash the device or force it to make arbitrary HTTP requests, potentially pivoting attacks deeper into corporate networks.
Rapid7 coordinated with JPCERT/CC and affected manufacturers to disclose these vulnerabilities starting in May 2024. While most flaws have received firmware patches, the default password generation weakness remains unfixable by update on devices already in use. Brother has since modified its manufacturing process to eliminate this issue in future hardware.
Users with affected Brother printers are urged to immediately change the default administrator password and apply all available firmware updates. IT teams should restrict external access to printer admin interfaces and avoid unsecured protocols to reduce attack surfaces.
What Undercode Say:
This vulnerability reveals a deeper problem with hardware security practices in the printing industry. Manufacturing processes that embed static, predictable credentials severely undermine device security, especially when firmware updates cannot fully address the flaw. Printers, often overlooked in cybersecurity strategies, have become a fertile ground for attackers looking to breach corporate networks.
The implications extend beyond simple unauthorized access. Attackers who take over these devices can infiltrate sensitive document flows, harvest credentials stored within the printers, and leverage buffer overflow and crash exploits to destabilize entire network segments. Such attack chains represent a critical risk for enterprises, particularly those in regulated industries where data confidentiality is paramount.
The inability to patch the password generation flaw on existing hardware highlights the importance of defense in depth. Organizations must adopt strong operational controls such as network segmentation, limiting printer management access, and employing network monitoring to detect unusual activity. Relying solely on vendor firmware updates is no longer sufficient for ensuring device security.
Furthermore, this case exemplifies the growing need for manufacturers to rethink device security from the factory floor onward. Incorporating randomized, user-settable default credentials or zero-trust principles during manufacturing could prevent these vulnerabilities from emerging. Itās a call to action for hardware vendors to prioritize secure design alongside functionality.
For IT professionals, this means revisiting asset inventories to identify vulnerable devices, enforcing password changes, and educating users about printer risks. Automated patch management solutions that streamline firmware updates and configuration checks are also becoming essential tools for modern IT security programs.
In summary, this vulnerability underscores the critical role printers play in enterprise cybersecurity. Their integration into networks demands rigorous security hygiene, proactive vulnerability management, and vendor accountability to mitigate evolving threats effectively.
š Fact Checker Results:
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CVE-2024-51978 allows generation of default admin passwords remotely.
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Firmware updates cannot fix the flaw in existing devices.
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Multiple manufacturers and hundreds of models are affected, including Brother and Fujifilm.
š Prediction:
As cybersecurity awareness grows, expect manufacturers to overhaul password generation practices during device production to prevent similar flaws. The printer market will likely see increased demand for devices supporting robust security standards and easier administrative controls. IT teams will adopt more aggressive network segmentation and automated patching tools to manage printer vulnerabilities proactively. Failure to do so could lead to an increase in targeted attacks exploiting printers as a gateway to sensitive corporate data and critical infrastructure.
References:
Reported By: www.bleepingcomputer.com
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