New attacks against HP printers

If you own an HP multi-function device (MFD), and use the fax capability, you should immediately install the latest firmware update.

It turns out that the fax functionality in HP devices has a bug. If someone sends you a maliciously crafted fax, they can take over your printer and use it to get to the rest of your home network. A few points to note:

  1. If you do not plug your printer into the phone line, then you are not affected by this.
  2. Regardless of whether you are affected, you should download the latest firmware to ensure your continued security.
  3. Many of the affected devices can be set to auto-update. I had mine set, and it did.
  4. If your device is not set to auto-update - or if you are unsure - you can find patches for the vulnerability on the HP website.
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