Communications of the ACM
Millions of Businesses Vulnerable to Fax-Based Cyberattack
Researchers say flaws in communications protocols that have not been updated since the 1980s put fax machines at risk for cyberattack.
Credit: siptrunk.com
Fax machines still in use at millions of organizations worldwide could be exploited by hackers to launch cyberattacks, according to Check Point Software Technologies researchers.
They say flaws in the communications protocols of the machines that have not been updated since the 1980s would allow malefactors to orchestrate myriad attacks.
The vulnerabilities permit a hacker to create a specially coded color JPEG fax image in which any type of malware can be embedded, and then transmit it via telephone line to the target device. The image is automatically decoded and uploaded into fax memory upon receipt, after which the malware hijacks the device and can proliferate to any network to which the device is connected.
Check Point's Yaniv Balmas says, "It is critical that organizations protect themselves against these possible attacks by updating their fax machines with the latest patches and separating them from other devices on their networks."
From Computer Weekly (U.K.)
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