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Hewlett-Packard printers remote hacks Security fix available

Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) released a firmware update Friday that is says will fix a susceptibility in some of the Palo Alto company’s popular LaserJet printers that researchers said could allow hackers to remotely take control of the devices. The company stressed that it will be “communicating this proactively to customers and partners” though not, it seems, just yet, with the press release on the update giving no details of the changes made by HP and failing to reveal which devices the new firmware is available for.
Last Month, team of researchers from Columbia University discovered that some Hewlett-Packard LaserJet printers, and possibly similar devices, did not verify software upgrades contained within so-called remote firmware updates. The researchers were able to offer firmware updates that included malicious software and then take control of the printer.Once the researchers were able to take control of HP printers, they were able to accomplish a host of potentially dangerous tasks. They said they could print a tax return while sending a copy to a hacker’s remote computer, compromising a host of personal information; easily disable printers; and even command a printer to continuously heat up its ink-drying component until it started to catch fire.
On Friday, HP issued a news release reiterating that no customers have reported unauthorized access to their LaserJet printers, and offered a firmware update that the company says will “mitigate this issue.” The update is available at www.hp.com/support, in the “Drivers” category.

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