When we talk about cybersecurity, printers are rarely at the top of the list. But recent findings show they should be. It turns out, office printers have quietly become one of the easiest ways for attackers to sneak into corporate networks, and most companies don’t even realize it.
A new report by HP Wolf Security revealed that only 36% of IT teams consistently update printer firmware. Even though they spend over 3.5 hours each month per printer managing security, many still leave these devices open to major risks. These overlooked security holes make printers an ideal entry point for cybercriminals.
In one alarming case, researchers discovered an attack targeting Xerox VersaLink printers. Hackers were able to steal Windows login credentials and move laterally across networks using pass-back techniques. Even more concerning is that similar security flaws were later found in Konica Minolta printers too.
Another major issue was recently uncovered in Brother printers. A flaw tracked as CVE‑2024‑51978 allows hackers to guess the admin password using only the printer’s serial number. This affects nearly 700 Brother printer models and unfortunately, can’t be fixed by firmware updates. That makes it a long-term risk for any business still using affected models.
Phishing attacks have also gone a step further. Some attackers have started using Microsoft 365 integration features on printers to send spoofed emails. In one campaign, nearly 70 employees in financial institutions received emails that looked legitimate, because they were sent directly from the office printer. Security researchers at Varonis traced this tactic and warned it could be the start of a wider trend.
One of the big takeaways from all this research is that printers pose security risks at every stage of their lifecycle. From buying the device to retiring it, there are gaps. For example, 54% of purchasing teams never verify a printer manufacturer’s security claims, and 55% don’t share the vendor’s answers with their cybersecurity teams. This lack of communication leaves important questions unanswered and systems vulnerable.
Printers also store a lot of data, like cached print jobs, scans, or faxes, which, if left unsecured, can be accessed or stolen. This is especially dangerous when internal drives are unencrypted or left on default settings.
Older models present another challenge. Canon, Xerox, Ricoh, and Toshiba printers have been found to contain unpatched buffer overflow vulnerabilities. These can be exploited by attackers for remote code execution or to bypass network restrictions entirely. Some of these flaws date back years, yet many businesses are still using the affected models.
So, what’s the fix? Experts recommend isolating printers on separate networks (also called segmentation), always changing default admin passwords, applying firmware updates regularly, and making sure vendor security practices are reviewed before a purchase. These are basic but effective steps to prevent easy exploits.
Organizations also need to treat printers like any other smart device. That includes monitoring print traffic, enabling encryption, using secure protocols (like IPPS instead of HTTP), and securely wiping all data before the device is retired or resold.
What makes all of this more urgent is that the printer industry is growing fast. The global print hardware market is expected to hit $123.1 billion by 2034, up from $78.5 billion in 2025. With that scale, even a small percentage of vulnerable printers can cause massive damage if attackers take advantage.
To sum it up, printers are no longer just tools sitting quietly in office corners. They are connected devices with storage, computing power, and network access, and hackers know it. If we don’t secure them, we’re leaving the door wide open.
Stay alert, and keep your security measures updated!
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