Cartridge Monkey

Networked printers could be under threat

Friday 01 December, 2006

Those who use printer networks, whether it be in the office or at home for their printing requirements, have been alerted to a 'bot' that is reportedly targeting educational establishments.

The virus apparently exploits old bugs in certain security software and is capable of affecting printer sharing, according to reports.

"We are seeing a spike in traffic on port 2967 with activity only in the .edu domain," the security company Symantec said. "The impact of the attack is minimal thus far."

The .edu domain is used by American universities and other higher education establishments in the country.

Reports say that the bot attacks computers by opening a connection to an Internet Relay Chat server. This then lets a remote user attack the infected PC, which is then known as a 'zombie'.

It looks like bad news for anyone with a network printer set up, so antivirus software should be up to date with all relevant patches installed. After all, what good is a printer packed with refilled printer ink cartridges if you can't use your computer!

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Networked printers could be under threat

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