CVE-2019-13166
📋 TL;DR
This vulnerability affects certain Xerox printers that lack account lockout mechanisms, allowing attackers to brute-force local account credentials. Organizations using vulnerable Xerox printer models are affected, particularly those with printers accessible to untrusted users. Attackers can extract credentials through repeated login attempts without triggering security controls.
💻 Affected Systems
- Xerox Phaser 3320
📦 What is this software?
⚠️ Risk & Real-World Impact
Worst Case
Attackers gain administrative access to printers, enabling configuration changes, data interception, or using printers as network footholds for lateral movement.
Likely Case
Unauthorized users gain access to printer management interfaces, potentially disrupting printing services or accessing sensitive document information.
If Mitigated
With proper network segmentation and access controls, impact is limited to printer management functions only.
🎯 Exploit Status
Exploitation requires network access to printer management interface and knowledge of valid usernames. Brute-force tools can automate credential extraction.
🛠️ Fix & Mitigation
✅ Official Fix
Patch Version: Check vendor for specific firmware updates
Vendor Advisory: https://security.business.xerox.com/
Restart Required: Yes
Instructions:
1. Visit Xerox security portal. 2. Identify your printer model. 3. Download latest firmware. 4. Upload firmware via printer web interface. 5. Reboot printer.
🔧 Temporary Workarounds
Network Segmentation
allIsolate printers on separate VLANs with strict firewall rules limiting management access.
Strong Password Policy
allImplement complex, unique passwords for printer accounts to increase brute-force difficulty.
🧯 If You Can't Patch
- Implement network access controls to restrict printer management interface access to authorized IPs only
- Enable logging and monitoring for failed authentication attempts on printers
🔍 How to Verify
Check if Vulnerable:
Check printer firmware version via web interface and compare against patched versions in vendor advisory.Check Version:
Access printer web interface at http://[printer-ip]/ and navigate to settings or about page.Verify Fix Applied:
Verify firmware version is updated and test authentication lockout by attempting multiple failed logins.📡 Detection & Monitoring
Log Indicators:
- Multiple failed authentication attempts from single source
- Successful logins from unusual IP addresses
Network Indicators:
- High volume of HTTP POST requests to printer login endpoints
- Brute-force patterns to /auth or /login paths
SIEM Query:
source="printer_logs" AND (event_type="auth_failure" count>10 within 5min OR event_type="auth_success" from new_ip)