HP CEO “Exposes” Ink Cartridge Vulnerability Triggering Legal Storm

<p>In a startling revelation, HP CEO Enrique Lores unveils a dark secret
within ink cartridges—hackers can infiltrate them with viruses. </p><p>According to tech site <a href="https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/01/hp-ceo-blocking-third-party-ink-from-printers-fights-viruses/">Ars
Technica</a>, HP’s discovery serves as the impetus behind the company’s
implementation of the Dynamic Security system (DSS), a move that's now at the
center of a legal firestorm. According to Lores, “We have seen that you can
embed viruses in the cartridges. Through the cartridge, [the virus can] go to
the print, [and then] from the printer, go to the network.”</p><p>The Dynamic Security System</p><p>The DSS, designed to ensure HP printers only function with specific
cartridges, is facing a lawsuit accusing the company of withholding critical
information from customers.</p><p>As HP grapples with lawsuits challenging the ramifications of its
Dynamic Security system, customers are alleging a lack of transparency
regarding firmware updates. These updates, intended to block non-HP cartridges
from working in their printers, resulted in printers becoming inoperative,
prompting legal action. The lawsuit seeks an injunction against HP, preventing
them from deploying updates that render printers incompatible with third-party
cartridges.</p><blockquote><p lang="en" dir="ltr">HP CEO: Blocking third-party ink from printers fights viruses <a href="https://t.co/CIf8kKN6Bw">https://t.co/CIf8kKN6Bw</a></p>— Ars Technica (@arstechnica) <a href="https://twitter.com/arstechnica/status/1749490663438033342?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2024</a></blockquote><p>Securing Printers and Subscription Revenues</p><p>Lores claimed that cartridges can serve as gateways for viruses, posing
threats to both prints and networks while addressing the controversy. This
startling discovery underscores a strategic push towards fortifying its
subscription model. HP, seemingly leveraging potential cartridge vulnerabilities, appears to be trying to sway consumers towards committing to HP ink. Any such tactic would align with the
company's broader strategy of recouping profits through recurring revenues via
programs like Instant Ink.</p><p>The Fly in the Ointment</p><p>But there’s a problem. While <a href="https://www.financemagnates.com/tag/cyber-crime/" target="_blank" rel="follow">cyber crime</a> is on the up, there doesn’t seem to be a threat from your printer. A <a href="https://www.action-intell.com/2022/10/05/hp-bug-bounty-program-finds-reprogrammable-chips-open-printers-to-malware/">2022
piece by Actionable Intelligence</a> spilled the beans on a potential weakness
in the system. A researcher, no doubt part of the secret society of printer
hackers, unearthed a nifty trick to infiltrate a printer using a rebel
third-party ink cartridge. However, the plot thickens—when attempting the same
escapade with an HP cartridge, our rogue genius hit a snag. It didn’t work.</p><p>Behold, the birth of HP's defensive maneuvers! The tech maestros at HP,
stirred by the prospect of a cartridge coup d'état, decided it was high time to
thwart any potential ink-soaked shenanigans. The catch? As they cloak their
printers in a shield of protection, HP concedes there's no concrete evidence of
this ink-centric heist happening in the wild. It's like guarding the gates against
an invisible horde—only in the whimsical world of printer espionage. In terms of fearmongering, Lores could only have been more on point if he'd thrown in terms like <a href="https://www.financemagnates.com/terms/a/artificial-intelligence-ai/">Artificial Intelligence (AI</a>), deepfake, or identity theft.</p><p>Well! Thanks be to HP for keeping us and allowing us to use their
cartridges.</p>

This article was written by Louis Parks at www.financemagnates.com.