Printers are a hacker's best friend

Is nothing sacred?

By Pia Heikkila, 13 November 2001 15:40

NEWS Security experts have issued a warning about a vulnerability in printer software that could let hackers break into networks. Researchers at US security organisation Cert said a buffer overflow problem can allow an intruder to gain root access to servers and launch denial of service attacks (DOS). The vulnerabilities concern the software which allows different clients to share a networked printer. The attacker can launch a DOS attack via IBM-AIX, FreeBSD, NetBSD and OpenBSD line printers and HP's HP-UX printers, according to Cert. Cert warned: "Administrators should check their systems for exposure, even if they have recently addressed some line printer daemon vulnerabilities." See http://www.cert.org/advisories/CA-2001-30.html for more information.

Post your comment

In order to post a comment you need to be registered and logged in.

Log in or create your silicon.com account below

Will not be displayed with your comment

By signing up for this service, you indicate that you agree to our Terms and Conditions and have read and understood our Privacy Policy.

Questions about membership? Find the answers in the Membership FAQ