Malware causing printers to create "garbled printouts"
The malware is supposed to target PCs. Symantec says that for the past two weeks, the trojan has made itself known mostly in the US and India, along with parts of Europe and South America. It's delivered through the normal channels for malware; either from a person surfing to an infected web site or opening an email attachment.
However, it seems that this malware can also affect printers that are hooked up to the infected PC. Symantec says that it has received "multiple reports of massive print jobs being sent to print servers, printing garbage characters until the printer runs out of paper."
The malware generates an .spl file when it infects a PC. Symantec says:
The .spl file, while appearing to be a common printer spool file, is actually an executable file and is detected as Adware.Eorezo. Depending on the configuration, any files, including binary files, created in that folder will trigger print jobs. This explains the reports of unwanted printouts observed in some compromised environments. Based on what we have discovered so far, the garbled printouts appear to be a side effect of the infection vector rather an intentional goal of the author.
Posted:
Source: http://www.neowin.net/news/malware-causing-printers-to-create-garbled-printouts
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Comments
SovietRussiaPosted:
Flags That would be so annoying if you were working.
Just think about how mad you would be if you just got a new ink cartridge.
FrogPosted:
SovietRussia It would be funny to have a virus that prints out 72 bold font letters of the alphabet in color singing TROLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL as it prints wasting your ink
Yeah it would be xD
CartmanisPhat Really? hackers are getting bored huh? no please dont hack my printer, lol #FAil hackers
Nah they just find it a funny prank I guess! =P
SovietRussiaPosted:
It would be funny to have a virus that prints out 72 bold font letters of the alphabet in color singing TROLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL as it prints wasting your ink
PhracturePosted:
This type of thing sure is getting advanced, and they should use knowledge for good not messing with people for fun.
Android_Posted:
Really? hackers are getting bored huh? no please dont hack my printer, lol #FAil hackers
KatsumiPosted:
A virus infecting printers now o.o wow
Hoping virus protection can stop this. Wouldn't want myself getting one.. parents will be pissed
Hoping virus protection can stop this. Wouldn't want myself getting one.. parents will be pissed
DubblePosted:
Kinda sounds like a RAT?
Quite disturbing though that stuff like this can happen just through visiting a web page :/
Quite disturbing though that stuff like this can happen just through visiting a web page :/
FrogPosted:
BritishColumbiaReminiscing That's crazy that a computer virus can affect a printer o.O
Yea i never knew that could even happen
Neither did I!
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