Pipeline Researchers Uncovered Exposed Printers in Bangladesh Universities

In Bangladesh's path toward digital transformation, the operational framework of educational institutions depends much on networked devices such as servers, lap desktop computers and printers.  

These devices, however, can become high-value targets for cyberattacks if they are improperly locked, so compromising sensitive information and exposing companies to illegal access and potential risks.  

Therefore, we investigated using Censys to find exposed printers in Bangladesh Universities, and here is the comprehensive critical insight for it.

Using Censys's capabilities, the Pipeline Security Research Team found several flaws in printers linked to Bangladeshi top universities.  

These results emphasize how urgently strong cybersecurity policies are needed to guard the digital resources of these universities and stop them from acting as doors to more major breaches.  

Key Findings: Exposed Printers in Bangladesh Universities

Using Censys, researchers identified several public-facing printer services configured with weak or default security settings. These misconfigurations expose sensitive data and increase the risk of unauthorized access and malicious exploits.

Vulnerabilities Identified in Bangladesh

In the news, security researchers from the Shadowserver Foundation, a non-profit organization focused on improving cyber-security practices across the world, have published a warning about companies leaving printers exposed online.  

In our research, we examined multiple common printer protocol ports and services within Bangladeshi universities.

University of Rajshahi

‍Global Rank: 1401–1500 in QS World University Rankings.

Findings:

• Open Port 631 (IPP) services exposed on the public internet.

• Outdated configurations, enabling attackers to manipulate printer jobs or exploit weak SSL protocols.

Risks:

• Vulnerabilities like CVE-2024-47175 allow attackers to inject malicious data into Printer Description Files (PPD).

• Exploitation of CVE-2024-47076 can lead to unauthorized access via the CUPS system.

Censys Query used:

autonomous_system.description: "university" AND location.country_code: BD AND services.port: 631

National University of Khulna

Findings:

• Exposed Ports 139 and 445 (SMB) used for printer sharing.

• Weak configurations allowing kernel-level exploitation through vulnerabilities such as CVE-2024-26245 and privilege escalation attacks via CVE-2024-47176.

Risks:

• Unauthorized access to shared resources and sensitive file transfers.

• Attackers can exploit these configurations to spread malware or access critical data.

Censys Query used:

autonomous_system.description: "university" AND location.country_code: BD AND services.port: 139 AND 445

BRAC University

Global Rank: 1001–1200 in QS World University Rankings.

Findings:

• Open Port 139 and 445 (SMB) services revealed shared files and administrative interfaces.

Risks:

• Attackers could execute kernel-mode arbitrary code or escalate privileges on the system.

• Vulnerabilities include CVE-2024-26245 and CVE-2024-47176.

University of Dhaka

Global Rank: 691 in QS World University Rankings.

Findings:

• Exposed Port 161 (SNMP) services provided detailed device status and configurations.

• Detected outdated configurations vulnerable to CVE-2024-7011 and CVE-2024-47523.

Risks:

• Attackers could use improper input sanitization to cause denial-of-service (DoS) conditions.

• Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks were possible through exposed SNMP fields.

Censys Query:

autonomous_system.description: "university" AND location.country_code: BD AND services.port: 161

Other Universities in Bangladesh

Findings:

1. Multiple universities, including BUP, KUET, Islamic University of Technology (IUT) , and Sylhet Agricultural University, were identified with outdated or vulnerable services:

1. KUET: Outdated CentOS and PHP versions made their systems vulnerable to privilege escalation and remote attacks.

2. IUT: Misconfigured HTTP servers potentially leaked sensitive NTLM hashes, as identified in CVE-2024-40898.

3. Sylhet Agricultural University: MikroTik routers had default ports exposed, allowing brute-force attacks.

Censys Query:

autonomous_system.description: "university" AND location.country_code: BD AND services.port: 80

Remediation Strategies

To secure the exposed printer services across Bangladeshi universities, the following steps should be taken:

Disable Unused Services

1. Cut the attack surface by turning off pointless services including IPP, SMB, and SNMP.

Use Secure Protocols

1. Replace IPP with IPP over TLS and upgrade SMBv1/2 to SMBv3 with encryption.

2. Use SNMPv3 instead of previous versions; it supports encryption and authentication.

Network Segmentation

1. Create dedicated VLANs or subnets out of isolate printers to limit access from untrusted networks.  

2. Implement access controls for sensitive protocols like SMB and SNMP.

Patch Firmware and Update Software

1. Regularly update all printer firmware and associated software to patch known vulnerabilities such as CVE-2024-47175.

2. Ensure the latest security updates are applied to operating systems and network devices.

Audit and Secure Configurations

1. Change default community strings and credentials for strong, distinctive ones.

2. Turn off pointless features and enforce safe administrative access policies.  

Restrict External Access

1. Using firewalls, block outside access to printer ports and let access just via VPNs or secured internal connections.

How Censys Helps in Mitigation

Censys offers priceless tools and insights to help to secure exposed devices and services:

Proactive Vulnerability Management: Constant monitoring of exposed or improperly configured printer services all around the network so that risks can be immediately reduced.

Patch and Update Verification: Verifies whether devices running critical ports (139, 445, and 161) have the most recent security fixes applied to them.

Network Segmentation and Access Control Validation: Guarantees sensitive services are only available through reliable internal systems and correctly separated from public networks.

Audit and Monitoring: Scans for illegal devices and misconfigurations guarantee that only approved printers and services are active.  

Real-time Alerts: Notifies managers of recently discovered vulnerabilities or newly exposed services, so enabling quick reaction to developing hazards.

Conclusion

The Censys search results highlight the cybersecurity flaws in Bangladeshi colleges, especially with relation to their networked printers. These weaknesses left unbridled might cause data leaks, service interruptions, and illegal access to private data.  

Using tools like Censys helps organizations to securely protect their digital infrastructure, apply strong mitigating techniques, and have thorough awareness of their attack surface.  

Preventing data integrity and operational continuity will depend critically on proactive measures to safeguard IoT devices like printers as Bangladesh keeps its digital revolution under way.  

A safe digital future starts with fixing the often-disregarded weaknesses of today. Contact us today to find a comprehensive security analysis of your vulnerabilities, regardless of the industry you’re targeting.