Printing and scanning create security risks through several distinct routes: networked multifunction devices can expose stored information, scan-to-share workflows can rely on powerful credentials, print-management servers can contain exploitable software, and paper QR codes can conceal phishing destinations. Treat printers and scanners as managed network devices, not harmless peripherals, and secure each route with controls suited to it.
Why print and scanning are still a security risk
Modern printers, copiers and scanners can connect to networks, run common commercial operating systems and store information on nonvolatile media. NIST’s guidance on multifunction devices describes security considerations for their copy, print and scan functions. That makes these devices part of an organization’s information-system security surface: they belong in asset inventories, configuration reviews, access controls and vulnerability-management processes.
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The risk is not that every device keeps every job indefinitely. Storage, retention and configuration vary. The practical concern is that a connected device may hold data or credentials, or provide a route into other systems if poorly secured.
Can a network printer be hacked?
Yes. A network-connected printer or scanner can be reached through its exposed interfaces or compromised through weak configuration. Default administrator credentials are one avoidable weakness. Devices may also use privileged domain accounts to send scans to shared drives or email, which can magnify the impact of a compromise.
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CISA and NSA warn that attackers who gain access to a printer or scanner using default credentials may use loaded privileged domain accounts to move laterally and compromise a domain. A convenient scan workflow can therefore create a path from a peripheral to higher-value systems if its account has broader access than the task requires.
Reduce device and credential exposure
- Inventory printers, copiers and scanners alongside other networked endpoints; review their configurations and keep their software and firmware under vulnerability management.
- Change default administration credentials and use unique credentials for device management.
- Use narrowly scoped accounts for scan-to-share or scan-to-email integrations rather than privileged domain accounts.
- Restrict device interfaces, network access and management access to what operations require.
- Consider CISA’s guidance on protecting data stored on devices, including encryption and backups where applicable.
Can a printer expose documents?
It can, depending on the device and its configuration. Multifunction devices may store information internally, so an exposed or compromised device could put stored data at risk. The NIST guidance supports treating device storage and print, copy and scan functions as security concerns, but it does not justify assuming that every printer retains every job or retains it indefinitely.
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Organizations should determine what their own devices store, who can access that information and how it is protected. Include device data in storage-protection decisions, and apply encryption and backup practices where appropriate to the data and device.
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Print-management servers add software that must be inventoried, patched and protected from unnecessary network exposure. In a joint advisory revised May 11, 2023, the FBI and CISA documented malicious exploitation of CVE-2023-27350 in specified PaperCut NG/MF versions. The advisory described unauthenticated remote code execution and recommended upgrading; if immediate patching was not possible, it advised ensuring vulnerable servers were not internet-accessible and applying network controls.
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Those version ranges are historical, not a current vulnerability inventory. Organizations should consult current vendor security guidance to determine whether their installed version needs action. The broader lesson is to include print-management software in normal software inventory and patch processes, and to limit its exposure.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Is it safe to scan a QR code on a flyer?
A QR code is a link whose destination may be difficult to inspect before scanning. A code printed on a flyer can be replaced or cloned to redirect a reader to a malicious site. The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security describes phishing and malware risks from malicious QR destinations. HHS-hosted guidance for the healthcare sector says, “Do not scan a randomly found QR code,” and advises suspicion if a QR-linked site asks for a password or login information.
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Scanning a code does not automatically infect a device. The key risks are being taken to a malicious destination, being deceived into entering credentials, or taking another unsafe action prompted by the page.
- Be cautious with unexpected QR codes, especially codes found loose or placed over another code.
- Check the destination shown by your device before opening it, where that preview is available.
- Do not enter account credentials or other sensitive information on a page reached through an unexpected code.
- If the code claims to lead to a trusted service, navigate to that service through a known route instead of relying on the code.
Match the control to the threat
| Threat path | What to assess | Useful controls |
|---|---|---|
| Device and stored-data exposure | Network connectivity, device configuration, credentials and internal storage | Inventory devices, change default credentials, restrict access, review storage protections and include devices in vulnerability management. |
| Scan-to-share credentials | Accounts used for shared-drive or email workflows and the permissions they hold | Use narrowly scoped accounts and limit device access to the interfaces and destinations required. |
| Print-management software | Installed versions, patch status and internet or network exposure | Track software in inventory, follow current vendor guidance, patch promptly and restrict unnecessary exposure. |
| QR-code phishing | Whether the code is expected, whether its destination can be inspected and whether it asks for credentials | Approach unexpected codes cautiously, check destinations and avoid entering credentials through suspicious links. |
For organizations with many connected devices or complex print workflows, managed print security support may help with inventory and configuration work. Whatever the implementation, the core measures remain operational: know what is connected, limit privileges and exposure, patch the software, protect stored data and treat unexpected QR codes as untrusted links.
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