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Printers are spontaneously printing odd "SQL" strings

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Re: Printers are spontaneously printing odd "SQL" strings

#101

Post by gergles »

zhoutong wrote: post #44
cs702 wrote: post #41

Many, perhaps most network-connected printers, NAS units, and other devices (e.g., home-automation hardware) simply assume that the local network they connect to will be securely protected from external attack, so they're not configured to withstand even the simplest of attacks. This is exactly the opposite of what many security experts recommend: ideally all devices should be secure regardless of whether the network…

Especially with the development of IPv6, internal routing becomes transparent and the appearance of protection offered by NAT is gone. Possibly these printers all have been assigned a public-reachable IPv6 addresses.

It isn't an "appearance" of protection. NAT is the best thing to happen to security for home networks since their inception. The push to remove it with IPv6 and to force home users who don't care about these things to put their entire home network directly on the Internet is going to wreak havoc.

Re: Printers are spontaneously printing odd "SQL" strings

#102

Post by snowwrestler »

bad_user wrote: post #94
pasbesoin wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well, if his Internet connection is open, then he's open to being prosecuted for what other people might download on it. As a celebrity, he probably has some substantial de facto immunity against this. (One blog post, and "the Internet" will show up on his side.) The rest of us... not so much.

Actually with an open wifi you're more protected agaist such instances because it's concrete proof that your IP was shared by other people, considering how ISVs assign these IPs dynamically and that their logs may not be accurate.

Have you checked this line of reasoning with an actual lawyer?

Re: Printers are spontaneously printing odd "SQL" strings

#103

Post by pasbesoin »

maigret wrote: post #98
bad_user wrote: post #94

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Actually with an open wifi you're more protected agaist such instances because it's concrete proof that your IP was shared by other people, considering how ISVs assign these IPs dynamically and that their logs may not be accurate.

Only in the case the local law doesn't hold you responsible for not having protected your network in the first place. [Edit] This is the case in Germany. http://ratgeber-recht.welt.de/offene-wlan-hotspots-sind-zula... You may have your own hotspot but you may be liable for misuses.

And in civil lawsuits, you can spend several thousand dollars in legal fees more or less effectively making your point.

Also, it's increasingly apparent that other jurisdictions will increasingly attempt -- or be used -- to ensnare people in more... "permissive" jurisdictions. Don't like the venue? Sue -- or prosecute -- them in another venue.

On the one hand, I feel sad that my response to this is to "close up" connectivity. On the other hand, I for one don't have the resources with which to liberally take such situations on.

Re: Printers are spontaneously printing odd "SQL" strings

#104

Post by agwa »

gergles wrote: post #101
zhoutong wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Especially with the development of IPv6, internal routing becomes transparent and the appearance of protection offered by NAT is gone. Possibly these printers all have been assigned a public-reachable IPv6 addresses.

It isn't an "appearance" of protection. NAT is the best thing to happen to security for home networks since their inception. The push to remove it with IPv6 and to force home users who don't care about these things to put their entire home network directly on the Internet is going to wreak havoc.

The security comes from the stateful firewall, not from the NAT. In all likelihood, IPv6-supporting home routers will ship with a stateful firewall enabled by default.

Re: Printers are spontaneously printing odd "SQL" strings

#105

Post by da_n »

cantankerous wrote: post #89

After playing around with it. I think that what is causing this to happen is that the JetDirect port on the printer (usually 9100) is getting written to by a port scanner. This will cause a printer using JetDirect to print out whatever gets sent to it on that port. Try it yourself if you have a printer that implements it. For me it was a Brother HD-5370DW. 1. telnet 9100 2. Type a hello world message. 3. Close the co…

Can confirm this works on my Epson printer (SX535WD).

Re: Printers are spontaneously printing odd "SQL" strings

#106

Post by munin »

bad_user wrote: post #67
munin wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

it's worth noting, I think, that Schneier is pretty out of touch when it comes to the whole "open wireless" thing, because he leaves himself open to a bunch of local-only attacks. he's correct that your computer should be able to withstand being on the 'open' internet, since it is every time you take it to work or a coffee shop or something, but, don't be an idiot, just turn WPA2 on at your house. many access points…

he leaves himself open to a bunch of local-only attacks What kind of attacks might those be? Consider the case of a computer connected to the network with no open ports (other than say, 25 for SSH), with a properly configured firewall, that connects to the Internet through a VPN and with an operating system that auto-updates itself. What could you do to it from inside the network?

man-in-the middle the windows update channel (see: flame)

man-in-the-middle the VPN

man-in-the-middle administration of the router / wireless access point, which frequently is done without ssl

Re: Printers are spontaneously printing odd "SQL" strings

#107

Post by JonnieCache »

Don't trust your printer! There were a lot of demos of printer hacks at 28c3 and basically I think I might not print anything ever again. A lot of these things have their firmware implemented in postscript. Updating the firmware consists of printing a special document. It's pretty mental tbh. Your jaw will be scraping along the floor at some of the holes these things have.

Print Me If You Dare: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njVv7J2azY8

Hacking MFPs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqL5P46m_zQ

EDIT: Beaten by 4 hours. Oh well.

Re: Printers are spontaneously printing odd "SQL" strings

#108

Post by brokenparser »

da_n wrote: post #105
cantankerous wrote: post #89

After playing around with it. I think that what is causing this to happen is that the JetDirect port on the printer (usually 9100) is getting written to by a port scanner. This will cause a printer using JetDirect to print out whatever gets sent to it on that port. Try it yourself if you have a printer that implements it. For me it was a Brother HD-5370DW. 1. telnet 9100 2. Type a hello world message. 3. Close the co…

Can confirm this works on my Epson printer (SX535WD).

@PJL RDYMSG DISPLAY="Tray 1 Load Plain Letter"

Confuses the heck out of your coworkers.

Re: Printers are spontaneously printing odd "SQL" strings

#110

Post by ars »

bad_user wrote: post #67
munin wrote: post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

it's worth noting, I think, that Schneier is pretty out of touch when it comes to the whole "open wireless" thing, because he leaves himself open to a bunch of local-only attacks. he's correct that your computer should be able to withstand being on the 'open' internet, since it is every time you take it to work or a coffee shop or something, but, don't be an idiot, just turn WPA2 on at your house. many access points…

he leaves himself open to a bunch of local-only attacks What kind of attacks might those be? Consider the case of a computer connected to the network with no open ports (other than say, 25 for SSH), with a properly configured firewall, that connects to the Internet through a VPN and with an operating system that auto-updates itself. What could you do to it from inside the network?

BTW port 25 is not SSH, it's SMTP. SSH is port 22.
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