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Only Original HP office-class cartridges contain a chip with HP proprietary firmware that is designed from the ground up to be secure and resistant to tampering. Non-HP supplies include chips of unknown origin that may employ untrusted firmware. Given that there is a data interface from the chip to the printer, an attacker with the right skills and resources may be able to uncover and exploit a vulnerability, taking advantage of this interface to add malicious code.
The proprietary firmware on HP office-class cartridge chips cannot be modified by third parties after production. Some non-HP cartridge and chip suppliers claim their chips can be reprogramed, and even sell devices online that can modify data elements. Non-HP chips can use general purpose microcontrollers with firmware that can be modified or replaced.
Original HP office printer cartridges introduced since 2015 use smart card technology that allows a secure transaction between the printer and cartridge. Non-HP chips may use general purpose microcontrollers, which can be vulnerable.
HP is vigilant about recognizing and mitigating security risks in the supply chain to help protect the chip from being replaced or altered, and reduce the risk of malicious code entering the chip. ISO/IEC 20243-certified Original HP Cartridges are tested and tracked from the creation of the chip, to the packaging, distribution,
and purchase of the cartridge.
HP chips are certified as EAL5+ and/or manufactured in facilities where products achieved EAL5+
certification.
Designs and glues contribute to tamperevident packaging. The security label on the box incorporates both manual- and machine-readable elements, including an identifier for digital tracking through the HP supply chain. HP adds a zip-strip sealed inner package and, for some Asia Pacific countries and products, provides a tamper-evident label on the tear strip. To learn more, see hp.com/go/anticounterfeit.
HP print security uses dynamic authentication strategies to help mitigate the risks of counterfeit or non-HP cartridges being used in an HP printer. HP also provides firmware updates that can improve, enhance, or extend the printer’s functionality and features, protect against security threats, and may update Dynamic Security. See hp.com/go/learnaboutsupplies
HP Enterprise-class printers include HP FutureSmart firmware, which provides integrity checking down to the BIOS.
• HP Sure Start: Checks operating code and reboots to safety if it’s compromised.
• Whitelisting: Validates critical firmware code as authentic to avoid exposing your network.
• Run-time intrusion detection: Continuously monitors memory to detect attacks before they start.
• HP Connection Inspector: Evaluates network connections to stop malware before it runs wild.
• HP Security Manager: Allows you to establish a single security policy, quickly apply it across your HP printer fleet, and then monitor, manage, and automatically restore critical settings.
• Secure boot: Automatically checks critical code during startup and stops if it’s compromised.
• Unique password: Pre-set to prevent intruders from accessing printer settings.
• Write-protected memory: Prevents introduction of malicious code while the printer is running.
• Automatic firmware updates: Helps ensure your devices are running without known vulnerabilities.
• Firmware code-signing validation: Validates memory code, then stops and notifies you if it’s not authentic.
Assessment tools available from HP Channel Partners:
Scans up to 50 HP network printers/MFPs against 15 common security settings, then reports on the level of risk within your print environment.
Assesses the organization’s overall print security, from security ecosystem to purchasing requirements and policy management.
