Penetration Testing: Re: Using a Stand-Alone Network Printer as a network attack entry point?

["R. DuFresne" <dufresne () sysinfo com>]

Most printers in a tcp/ip setting have all the network functionality
enclosed.  I recall years back when I would slip into a UofM printer,
then telnet off that into a printer at Mankato State, and telnet off
that...

So, if you can reach the printer <which, if the network folks know their
stuff, yer not able to get to from the outside, and should be forbidden
to go outside from if you are sitting within the soft-chewy center>, yer
already there <smile>. Jetdirect cards have never been a security
item...why even try to reinvent the wheel?  Unless I'm misunderstanding
you here.

Thanks,

Ron DuFresne

On Thu, 15 Aug 2002, Nick Jacobsen wrote:

> Hi all...
>     I came up with an idea, one that I've never heard discussed, of possibly
> modifying a stand-alone network printer (like most of the high-end office
> printers, hereafter referred to as a "SNP") to act as a full point to point
> proxy, or at least a simple pass through to the port and IP you specify in
> some sort of configuration.  The idea here would be to take a SNP and modify
> a ROM image for the specific printer to include the proxy functionality. I
> realize this could turn out to be quite difficult, but at the same time, it
> would provide a way into the internal network when no others are available.
> Any comments are most DEFINITELY welcome, flames less so, but if it's a
> stupid idea, let me know...
>
> Nick Jacobsen
> nick () ethicsdesign com
> ethics () netzero net
>
>
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