OT: Firmware Update from HP

I got an e-mail from "Hewlett Packard" telling me there's a security breach in my printer's firmware and inviting me to dowload an update. I doesnt look quite right.

Anybody else? "Zz Yzx" rhymes with "physics"; or " Isaacs" if you prefer.

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Reply to
Zz Yzx
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No, but I would never click on such a thing. Hover (but don't click!) your mouse over the link and (assuming you have a relatively smart email client) you should see the URL of the actual address being displayed. Chances are it's not going to point to "

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" or any other valid HP domain name. Delete the email, then manually go to the support section of
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and search for your printer to see if they have a firmware update. That would be the only place I'd ever download such an animal.

Reply to
Steve Turner

Zz Yzx wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Why would HP have your e-mail address? Did they promise to send you product updates? (These are retorical questions, no need to answer here.)

If it's suspicious, don't trust it. If you think your printer might be affected by the security "breach" (the usual word is vulnerability or issue), go directly to the manufacturer's site and look for the appropriate information/files.

You know... I'm not even sure if they call themselves "Hewlett-Packard" any longer... It might just be HP.

Puckdropper

Reply to
Puckdropper

Zz Yzx wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

Probability that's legitimate is approximately 0.000000000001%

Reply to
Doug Miller

I got it too.

Googled the address and it does look valid.

But I'm not going to do it.

Reply to
Richard

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Took about two minutes to do the update.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

Since I registered a product on line, they have my email address. It is a legitimate update.

I have a network printer accessible over the wi-fi so I did take advantage of the update. Connected to a PC, I'm not sure how it would be a security risk.

Reply to
Ed Pawlowski

---------------------- Really!

ZONK

Lew

Reply to
Lew Hodgett

called their support.

The security exploit was written up several months ago in IT bulletins.

Reply to
Tom Del Rosso

Never trust a link in email. Go to the HP site and only download from there.

Reply to
Headless /body

There are recent security issues with HP printers. Some of them auto-update firmware, and this can be spoofed. And since they are a computer, and some have a web server built in, they can be used as a launching point to attack other computers on a LAN.

There's also was a talk where there were claims a printer could start a fire by overpowering the fuser element in a laser printer. In reality the researchers were able to singe a page, but no real flames.

Reply to
Headless /body

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