Got a Brother printer? It could have a critical security flaw - how to check and what to do next

Hundreds of Brother printer models have been found to harbor a serious security flaw that can't be fully patched on existing devices. First noticed by Rapid7 in May and publicly disclosed on June 25, this unpatchable vulnerability lets an attacker who knows -- or can find out -- your printer's serial number generate its default administrator password. Also: Patch your Windows PC now before bootkit malware takes it over - here's how Yes, the same password that's set in the factory and that many of us never change. But the "good" news is you can still protect yourself by changing that default password today. Rapid7's zero-day research has revealed eight security holes across 689 Brother printer, scanner, and label-maker models -- and an additional 59 devices from Fujifilm, Toshiba Tec, Ricoh, and Konica Minolta. Of those eight flaws, seven can be fully patched with firmware updates. But the big one -- CVE-2024-51978 -- can't be fixed on any device already sitting in your home or office. CVE-2024-51978 carries a CVSS score of 9.8 "Critical" severity. Once an attacker knows a device's serial number, they can reconstruct the password, log in with full privileges, and launch all sorts of nastiness. Also: Is your Asus router part of a botnet? How to check - and what you can do According to a detailed technical analysis by Rapid7, Brother uses a password generation algorithm during manufacturing that is easily reversible. An attacker who leaks your serial number (for example via CVE-...