Fax Hack: "Firmware updater does not contain upgrades for your device"

[Thatscreenname]

First, our printer cannot have done its own firmware update. Since soon after we got our Photosmart 7525 I've had Web Services turned off. It has not had internet access to do a firmware update.

Because of the possible fax hack, I checked and found that the Photosmart 7520 series is listed as vulnerable in this HP security bulletin:

https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c06097712

(ours is a CZ045A)

So I downloaded the firmware updater:

HP Photosmart 7520 e-All-in-One Printer series Firmware Update

1830A 31.7 MB Aug 29, 2018

Note that this is an August 29, 2018 firmware update, and that the printer had auto-update (in fact, all Web Services) disabled.

The firmware updater sees the printer, but when I try to run it I get

"This Firmware Updater does not contain upgrades for your device."

The firmware now on the printer, per it's web interface, is Firmware Version ELM1N1409AR. I assume this is considered "1409AR", vs the "1830A" in the August 29, 2018 update.

When I tried to update the firmware from the printer, at first I could not get it to turn Web Services on. I finally got Web Services working, one time, and it said that the printer had to download an update to enable Web Services. The update downloaded and ran successfully. Then the printer said it would restart, but instead shut down and would not turn back on. I had to unplug it from power for a while, then it restarted when I plugged the power cable back in.

Now I cannot get it to enable Web Service whatever I try. And the firmware updater still will not work.

1. Why does the firmware updater mistakenly say it has no update for my printer? How can I get the firmware update done?

2. Why won't Web Services turn on?

As far as I can tell, the printer still works fine over our network.

This is really disappointing. I guess this about the vulnerability doesn't mean anything to HP:

"Notice:: The information in this security bulletin should be acted upon as soon as possible."

[senan6806]

@Thatscreenname

Thank you for being a part of HP Forums. I'd like to help.

I understand you are not able to update the printer firmware and I'll be glad to help you out. However, for an accurate solution, I would need more details:

Are you trying to update the firmware over USB or wireless?

If it's wireless, then I would recommend to download the firmware update on your computer from here, then connect the printer using USB cable and run the firmware update. Updating the firmware over USB is more efficient.

If the firmware update fails even over a USB connection, then try restoring the printer to original factory settings. Here is how to do it:

1.) Make sure this printer is plugged into a direct wall, not a surge protector

2) Remove all of your ink cartridges from the printer and close the door

3) Remove the power cord from the back of the printer (Do no press the power button)

4) Plug the power cord back into the printer

5) Wait for the printer to turn on completely, then install the ink cartridges.

6) On the printer control panel display, swipe left and touch Setup.

7) Touch Tools and then select Restore Factory Defaults.

Once you restore the printer to factory settings, try updating the printer firmware over a USB connection.

Let me know how it goes!

If the information I've provided was helpful, give us some reinforcement by clicking the Accepted Solution and Kudos buttons, that'll help us and others see that we've got the answers!
Have a great day!

[Thatscreenname]

Many thaks for the detailed suggestions. We use the printer on WiFi. It may take me a couple of days to get to trying the USB update.

I note that the printer's web interface works fine, and printing and scanning works fine. That the printer cannot connect to web services and that the update does not work over WiFi both strike me as poor implementation of something by HP.

While I'm working on the Photosmart 7525, do you have any idea why our Photosmart Premium C410a was not included in the fax vulnerability firmware update? It has color faxing, which I understand to be an indicator of vulnerability. As a machine, it's very similar in features to the Photosmart 7525, and uses the same printhead and cartridges. My guess is that HP considered it old enough to ignore - but for a vulnerability  like this, I don't find that very comforting.

Thanks again.

[senan6806]

@Thatscreenname

As per this document, the HP Photosmart Premium C410a printer is not vulnerable to remote execution codes. Not to worry, i'm sure the printer is not affected by the security vulnerability. 

Assigning a manual IP and Google DNS should resolve the web services connectivity issue on the HP Photosmart 7520 printer, the steps on how to set a manual IP address can be found here. 

For the DNS servers please use 8.8.8.8 for the Manual Preferred DNS Server and 8.8.4.4 for the Alternate DNS server. These are Google’s public DNS servers.

Once you assign a manual IP and Google DNS, try to enable web services and update the printer firmware.

[Thatscreenname]

Thank you for the assurances on the C410a. That printer is out of service for the moment, and may need a new printhead. It doesn't get used for months at a time, and had gotten quite full of gooey ink.*

Thanks for the suggestion of using an assigned DNS for the printer. I've always had it on a fixed IP address, so that's already done.

Until early this year we were able to set up whatever DNS we wanted in our router. I think I actually had Google's DNS set up. We now have AT&T fiber, and are tied to the AT&T settings in their gateway for our internal network. I recently updated the DNS settings on my laptop, but that's in part because it gets used outside of our home. Didn't think to try it on the printer.

Best,

- Thatscreenname

* Feedback to HP regarding inkjet printers: Our family has four locations with printers which get used infrequently. Two are summer places which get closed up for the winter, with the electricity turned off, so there is no option for printing an occasional page, even with remote printing. I wish HP:

1. Made it easier to "store" a printer.

At one of the summer places we have an HP printer which uses cartridges with built-in printheads. I remove these at the end of the summer, wrap in Saran wrap and put in a plastic bag. They are always usable again when we return the following summer. This is next to impossible to do with a printer which has separate printheads and ink cartridges.

2. Made it easier to clean old ink out of a printer.

The Photosmart Premium C410a wasn't used for several months this year, and would not print when I tried it last week. When I opened it up, the printhead assembly was covered with old gooey ink, top to bottom. The wipe pad for the printhead in the service/parking area was soaked with sticky ink, with a puddle of gooey ink in the well next to it. After cleaning, the printer still will not print, giving me "ink system" errors and sometimes cartridge errors. I suspect that if I could get things cleaned properly that the printhead would not need to be replaced. Even if I replace the printhead the printer still has a lot of old ink gunking it up that I cannot clean out, so the problem is likely to reoccur. FYI, the C410a has a page count of 8888 and a cycle count of 5.

I'm quite good at taking things apart, and may get to the C410a as a project, but this shouldn't be necessary.

HP inkjet printers are known for excessive use of ink for "cleaning" (per Consumer Reports). I suspect that this ends up eventually making things worse for lightly used printers.

[Thatscreenname]

Turns out the Photosmart 7525 was already set with a fixed IP address and 8.8.8.8 as the DNS server. So I'd tried that before.

It only allows one DNS address to be entered (Settings>Wireless>Advanced>IP>Manual>DNS).

I also tried 8.8.4.4. and 209.244.0.3, which is Level3, for DNS servers. And I tried restarting the printer after changing the DNS, and turning WiFi off and back on.

Will have to try the full reset next, but that may take me a couple of days to get to.

Thanks again.

[senan6806]

@Thatscreenname

A complete reset is a really good idea. Try the reset at your convenience and let me know how it goes.

[Thatscreenname]

Took me a while to get to this. Still no joy on the firmware update.

Here's what I did:

Setup:

- Printer power adapter is plugged directly into wall outlet

- Printer WiFi is turned off

- Printer is connected to Mac via USB cable

1. Removed all 5 print cartridges

2. Unplugged power cord from back of printer.

3. Waited about a minute.

4. Plugged power cord back into printer.

5. Waited for printer setup (which involved an awful grinding noise I've never heard before)

6. Reinstalled 5 print cartridges.

7. Reset of printer was slightly different from what you suggested, as there is no "swipe left" on my printer screen.

- pressed Wrench icon in upper right corner

- selected "Tools"

- selected "Restore Factory Defaults"

- pressed "Yes"

got message that Factory Defaults had been restored.

8. Downloaded firmware updater using FTP link you provided. File is "PS_7520_R1830A.dmg" . This is the same updater DMG that I downloaded previously.

9. Opened firmware updater DMG. Disk Image is named "HP Printer Update - Photosmart 7520 Series"

It's HP Firmware Updater version 1.5.0.296. It could see the printer.

10. Selected printer

11. Hit "Continue"

12. Got message "This Firmware Updater does not contain upgrades for your device."

13. Went to Tools on the printer and printed a Printer Status Report

- Model Name: HP Photosmart 7520 Series

- Model Number: 7520

- Serial Number: --

- Product Number: CZ045A

- Service ID: 24021

- Printer Zone (PX): 2

- Firmware Version: ELM1CN1409AR

- FW Patch Version: 0

- Country/Region: 15/1

- Duplexer: Installed

- ADF: Installed

What else can I try? It appears that the HP firmware updater is faulty.

Thanks.

[Thatscreenname]

To be clear, I after removing the print cartridges I closed the top of the printer and let it finish whatever cleaning cycle it does.

Then I:

- Re-set up WiFi

- Shut down the printer

- Unplugged both the power and USB cables

- Let it sit for 5 minutes

- Plugged the power cable back in and pressed the power key, let it start up

- Checked to see if I could enable Web Services. Still unable to connect to Web Services. 

But printer is on our network, and can be accessed from my Mac via System Preferences, via the printer's embedded web pages, and via HP Utility.

I also tried setting up Web Services from the printers embedded web pages, but got the message

"Web Services Setup

Unable to Check for Firmware Update!"

I also reset the DNS servers to 8.8.8.8 and 1.1.1.1, but that didn't help either.

[Thatscreenname]

Boy, it would be nice if I could edit these posts.

The additional steps listed in my previous post were taken after all the steps outlined in the post before that.