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Attack of the Trojan Printers

Posted by samzenpus on from the it's-crowded-in-there dept.

snydeq writes "Security professionals are tapping Trojan horse access points cloaked in printers and other office equipment to infiltrate clients who want their defenses tested, InfoWorld reports. Attackers dressed in IT supplier uniforms drop off printers to a company for a test-drive. Once the device is connected to the network, the penetration testers have a platform behind any perimeter defenses from which to attack. 'You can put your box inside a printer tray and glue it shut, and who will notice if there are one or two or three power cables coming out?' one security researcher says of the method. A variant of the attack, presented by Errata Security at the Defcon hacking convention, uses an attack-tool-laden iPhone mailed to a target company to get inside the firm's network defenses."

4 of 144 comments (clear)

  1. That old saying applies by Megahard · · Score: 5, Funny

    Beware of geeks bearing gifts.

    --
    I eat only the real part of complex carbohydrates.
  2. Re: Old News by wjousts · · Score: 5, Informative

    Urban myth, read the first two paragraphs of TFA

    Way back in 1991, InfoWorld reported on an advanced threat hitchhiking inside printers shipped to Iraq. The virus, known as AF/91 and implanted by the U.S. government, reportedly shut down Iraqi radar installations before escaping to spread among Windows computers.

    The article, published on April 1, was a spoof. But it spawned an urban myth that has been reported as fact in many circles.

  3. Why make it complicated? by war4peace · · Score: 5, Interesting

    It is a lot simpler than that. Last month I turned on my laptop's WiFi while replicating some troubleshooting steps and it popped saying it found 3 Wifi networks, not the usual 2 company-provided, password-protected ones. Turned out someone brought a router inside, plugged it in and used it for God-knows-what, then left it there, turned ON. Free WiFi for everyone!
    This was a HUGE security breach, process breach, you-name-it breach. The guy was canned afterwards, but that's not the issue. What's funny is that pretty much all companies' buildings in that area have at least one unprotected WiFi network, freely accessible from any device. No username or password required.
    You want to browse through most of the Top50 companies' "secured" networks? You got it. Sometimes I wonder where are all the damn hackers...

    --
    ...gis sdrawkcab (usually not responding to ACs; don't bother posting as AC)
  4. Old Hat... by Lumpy · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Did that years ago.

    HPLJ4 -- two power cables? what are they hiring amateurs?

    Open printer, add PC-104 computer with ethernet and a linux on it along with a small switch. printer AND PC104 connect to the switch inside AND scab onto the power supply.

    Printer + network scanner/document grabber completely hidden.

    Today it's even easier... Shiva plug with a HP sticker on it and it will go unnoticed for months.

    --
    Do not look at laser with remaining good eye.