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Thread ID: 65387 2006-01-16 10:32:00 Can a digital photo printing machine be infected with malware? Renmoo (66) PC World Chat
Post ID Timestamp Content User
421617 2006-01-16 10:32:00 Not that I intend to do that, of course, but I am just wondering the possibility of doing so. I noticed that a Kodak photo printing machine has USB ports as well as multiple slots for accepting media cards and CD drive. Supposing in a scenario whereby a person deliberately transferred a virus into his / her media card, then purposely slot it into the machine. When the machine reads it, will the virus be executed?

Cheers :)

P.S. I know, this sounds like a wild idea. :rolleyes:
Renmoo (66)
421618 2006-01-16 18:09:00 Technically yes, but it depends on the machine.

Hell there were rumours you can infect a Lexus with a virus transmitted by bluetooth.
ninja (1671)
421619 2006-01-16 23:50:00 I think you can assume that the kiosk machines won't boot from the USB slot . Unless the programme loader software was written by Microsoft . Oh dear, they could easily be wide open . :D But the power switch isn't normally accessible to the vile populace .

The software will be set up to take inputs only of known picture file types . There are stories that it's possible to take over the OS with nasty picture files . But what would the point be? It either produces pictures, or it doesn't . There are much more effective (non software) ways to sabotage a machine like that .
Graham L (2)
421620 2006-01-17 00:20:00 Perhaps you want to infect people's memory cards, and from there, hopefully infect a computer when it reads the memory card. Perhaps you could even infect the digital cameras. Greven (91)
421621 2006-01-17 00:35:00 If I was writing code for such a device, I think I would make sure that the kiosk couldn't ever write to the customer's media. If I was working for Kodak or any large US company, the company lawyers would make sure that I did. :cool: Graham L (2)
421622 2006-01-17 02:12:00 If I was writing code for such a device, I think I would make sure that the kiosk couldn't ever write to the customer's media. If I was working for Kodak or any large US company, the company lawyers would make sure that I did. :cool:
But don't those machines let you delete the photos off your memory card after you have printed them?
Greven (91)
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