Rapid7 Discovers Critical Vulnerabilities in Brother and Other Major Brands
By: Philippine Data Guardians| Date: July 29, 2025
In a landmark cybersecurity investigation, Rapid7 has uncovered a total of eight critical vulnerabilities affecting 748 printer models across five major manufacturers—Brother, FUJIFILM Business Innovation, Ricoh, Toshiba Tec, and Konica Minolta. Conducted in collaboration with JPCERT/CC , the 13-month research has prompted urgent action from organizations and IT teams worldwide.
CVE-2024-51978: The Most Critical Flaw
The most serious vulnerability, CVE-2024-51978 , allows a remote attacker to reveal and exploit a device’s default admin password based on the device's serial number. Since this password is generated during manufacturing, the vulnerability cannot be fully patched with firmware. Only newly manufactured devices are protected. Older devices must rely on Brother's workaround.
Summary of the 8 Vulnerabilities
| CVE | Impact | CVSS Score |
|---|---|---|
| CVE-2024-51977 | Information leak via HTTP/IPP | 5.3 (Medium) |
| CVE-2024-51978 | Default password generation exploit | 9.8 (Critical) |
| CVE-2024-51979 | Buffer overflow (possible RCE) | 7.2 (High) |
| CVE-2024-51980 | Forced TCP connections | 5.3 (Medium) |
| CVE-2024-51981 | SSRF - Arbitrary HTTP request | 5.3 (Medium) |
| CVE-2024-51982 | Denial of service via PJL crash | 7.5 (High) |
| CVE-2024-51983 | Denial of service via HTTP crash | 7.5 (High) |
| CVE-2024-51984 | Password disclosure of external services | 6.8 (Medium) |
🖨️ Affected Brands and Devices
| Vendor | Number of Affected Models |
|---|---|
| Brother Industries | 689 |
| FUJIFILM Business Innovation | 46 |
| Ricoh | 5 |
| Toshiba Tec Corporation | 2 |
| Konica Minolta | 6 |
| Total | 748 |
What Should You Do?
- hange the default admin password on all affected devices
- Apply the latest firmware updates from vendors
- Review workarounds for models affected by CVE-2024-51978
Vendor Advisories
- Brother Laser and Inkjet Printer Advisory
- Brother Document Scanner & Label Printer Advisory
- FUJIFILM Business Innovation Advisory
- Ricoh Advisory
- Toshiba Tec Advisory
- Konica Minolta Advisory
Further Reading & Research
- Rapid7 White Paper: Print Scan Hacks
- Proof-of-Concept Source Code
- Rapid7 Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
Final Thoughts
This report is a wake-up call. Printers are not just passive office tools — they are intelligent, network-connected endpoints. Organizations must adopt the same security posture with these devices as they would with any other IT asset. Patch often, restrict access, and never leave default credentials unchanged.
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