Share on

Dialing into the Past: RCE via the Fax Machine – Because Why Not?

REGISTER

Talk overview:

This talk will demonstrate how a printer bug discovered at Pwn2Own Ireland was leveraged to gain remote code execution via its fax interface. While the idea of faxes might seem outdated, hidden within this vintage feature lies a potential pathway for remote code execution. As the tech world focuses on patching vulnerabilities in trendy software and cloud security, this talk will explore exploiting a technology many thought was long past its prime.

The session will highlight how this vintage tech could serve as a gateway to serious mischief, with potential targets like municipalities, banks, courts, and various bureaucracies. Although the presenters are restricted to playful, harmless demonstrations, they will show how even the most outdated tech can still be exploited for fun. Expect a combination of technical insights and moments of “why would you do that?” as they demonstrate taking control of this device in a memorable, entertaining way, including running Doom on it to prove the point.

Carlo Meijer is a founding partner at Midnight Blue. He specializes in embedded security and critical infrastructure. His most notable research includes the reverse engineering and subsequent analysis of TETRA, a telecommunication standard mostly found in law enforcement and critical infrastructure, wherein a backdoored cipher and other critical vulnerabilities were discovered. Furthermore, he is known for breaking a hardened variant of the Mifare Classic Crypto1 RFID cipher, breaking the security of Self-Encrypting Drives, and compromising default password generators in ISP-deployed consumer routers.
Rick de Jager is a master’s student at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) with a strong passion for cybersecurity and competitive hacking. As an avid CTF player, Rick is an active member of the CTF teams Superflat and 0rganizers. He also represented Team Europe in the International Cybersecurity Challenge (ICC) in 2022, 2023, and 2024, and wrote the open source traffic analyzer “tulip”. Rick has participated in Pwn2Own for three consecutive years, successfully demonstrating exploits in consumer hardware and automotive targets.
REGISTER
Carlo Meijer & Rick de Jager
Carlo Meijer is a founding Partner at Midnight Blue Specializing in Embedded Security and Critical Infrastructure | Rick de Jager is a master’s Student at TU/e and a Cybersecurity Enthusiast
Carlo Meijer is a founding partner at Midnight Blue. He specializes in embedded security and critical infrastructure. His most notable research includes the reverse engineering and subsequent analysis of TETRA, a telecommunication standard mostly found in law enforcement and critical infrastructure, wherein a backdoored cipher and other critical vulnerabilities were discovered. Furthermore, he is known for breaking a hardened variant of the Mifare Classic Crypto1 RFID cipher, breaking the security of Self-Encrypting Drives, and compromising default password generators in ISP-deployed consumer routers.
Rick de Jager is a master’s student at Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) with a strong passion for cybersecurity and competitive hacking. As an avid CTF player, Rick is an active member of the CTF teams Superflat and 0rganizers. He also represented Team Europe in the International Cybersecurity Challenge (ICC) in 2022, 2023, and 2024, and wrote the open source traffic analyzer "tulip". Rick has participated in Pwn2Own for three consecutive years, successfully demonstrating exploits in consumer hardware and automotive targets.