Printers hacked worldwide after critical flaw exposed

CHEEKY HACKER HAS FUN WITH SERIOUS EXPLOIT.

A hacker named Stackoverflowin has taken it upon himself to reveal how easy it is to access net-connected printers operating without a firewall. Using an automated script that he wrote himself, the hacker was able to scan for and identify devices with open ports, then send out rogue print jobs to the targeted printers.

Two versions of the printed message were reportedly sent out to, as the hacker claims, 160,000 machines from various brands — the first with ASCII art depicting a robot and the second with ASCII art showing a computer. Some warn the user that their device has been “pwned” and are now “part of a flaming botnet”.

The message sent by Stackoverflowin also asks users to “close this port, skid”. Users were left amused and confused, and many went online asking for advice on what to do. Stackoverflowin claims that this prank was done in good fun and that it was “about helping people fix their problem”.