![\"WillXPrintersXServeXUpXYourXNextXComputerXInfection\"](\"https:\/\/sitesdev.net\/articles\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/WillXPrintersXServeXUpXYourXNextXComputerXInfection.jpg\")
Vectra Networks has found an old, longstanding vulnerability in Windows, and it comes from a rather unexpected source. Printers.<\/p>\nVectra Networks has found an old, longstanding vulnerability in Windows, and it comes from a rather unexpected source. Printers.<\/p>\n
Way back in 2007, an eternity ago in the world of tech, Microsoft introduced a convenient new feature that was widely lauded by network administrators. This service called Microsoft Web Point-and-Print stated its purpose was to make resource management easier for IT staff. Rather than having to manually add a printer to each PC in a given office, the new web service allowed for automatic delivery of appropriate printer drivers to any printer in the vicinity of any given PC.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s fast and convenient, but there\u2019s just one problem. The driver\u2019s digital signature isn\u2019t verified by any security process, and it\u2019s given high level access privileges to the network.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s a recipe for disaster. If an exploit can be found in any given printer driver that allows malware insertion into the code, and the physical printer itself can be accessed, neither of which presents any great challenge to a determined hacker, then the malware can be made to spread automatically to any PC within range of the printer.<\/p>\n
It gets worse though. Hackers could actually deliver the attack via the web through, for example, a page that offered a thoughtfully updated printer driver for the printer you\u2019re using. Again, once infected, even if a particular user deletes the driver from their PC, they\u2019ll get automatically re-infected, every time they print to the printer in question.<\/p>\n
As disturbing as that sounds, there are actually two easy fixes for it. First, Microsoft has already developed and rolled out a patch (MS16-087), and second, the feature can simply be turned off, if you don\u2019t want to take the chance that other such exploits will inevitably be found in the Point-and-Print service.<\/p>\n
One thing is certain: While this may be the first vulnerability found in the Point-and-Print service, it won\u2019t be the last. Now that the word is out, you can bet we\u2019ll be hearing much more about attacks on this front.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Vectra Networks has found an old, longstanding vulnerability in Windows, and it comes from a rather unexpected source. Printers. Way back in 2007, an eternity ago in the world of tech, Microsoft introduced a convenient new feature that was widely lauded by network administrators. This service called Microsoft Web Point-and-Print stated its purpose was to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":24752,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[34,30,36],"yoast_head":"\n