HP Officejet Pro 8600 Premium e-All-in-One Printer series N911 Firmware 2011A fails

[avjohnnie]

Product: HP OfficeJet Pro 8600 Premium e-All-in-One Printer series - N911

Operating System(s): Microsoft Windows 10 (64-bit), Android, and Chromebook

Recently HP Smart, Web Apps, and ePrint Services on this printer have failed to work. Wired Networking access, Wi-Fi Networking access and Wi-Fi-Direct access are all working good on this OfficeJet printer.

In my attempts to fix this recent change in usability I have factory reset the OfficeJet several times but there's been no change in Web Services / ePrint usability - I also tried re-registering Web Services on the OfficeJet, both from the OfficeJet's front touch panel and from the OfficeJet's Network based Administration pages:

Clicking '... more details' re-begins the Web Services Setup process (something which was already done long, long ago):

Continuing with Registration only fails and leads to an infinite loop of retry attempts:

So I checked the HP Software and drivers webpage for the 8600 (https://support.hp.com/us-en/drivers/selfservice/hp-officejet-pro-8600-premium-e-all-in-one-printer-...) and saw that my current drivers were all current but that there was a new firmware update issued on the 31st of October 2020 'OJP8600_N911g-n_2011A.exe'. I download this new FW updater and ran it. The software detected my OfficeJet and displayed its Serial Number. However, I could not mark the OfficeJet for update as it was greyed out and saying 'Not applicable' :

The current firmware version in the printer is showing as being Version 1829A (CKP5CN1829AR) which as far as I know was the most recent version prior to the 2011A release. If I re-run the previous "OJP8600_N911g-n_1829A.exe" updater it says the printer is Up-to-date (with the older 1829A FW, of course):

I saw in another HP community thread dealing with recent and sudden loss of Web Services and loss of ePrint functionality  (https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Printer-Wireless-Networking-Internet/ePrint-stopped-working-on-12-2-20...) that doing a Firmware update on that OfficeJet printer fixed the issue, but unfortunately that FW update was for a different model (an OfficeJet Pro 8740) - which apparently is an OfficeJet onto which its corrective FW update can be installed...

Can someone Please help. I regularly use Web Apps (HP Smart) for Mobile (Chromebook and Android Phone) accessibility to this printer and its scanning functions, but now I am stuck.

[Echo_Lake]

@avjohnnie

Thank you for posting on HP Support Community.
 

Don't worry as I'll be glad to help, I have a few troubleshooting steps we could try to fix the issue:  

• Let's try this document: Cannot Connect to Web Services
• Also, refer to the article updating the printer's firmware,  - HP Printers - Updating or Upgrading Printer Firmware

Hope this helps! Keep me posted for further assistance.
Please click “Accept as Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution.

[avjohnnie]

---

@Echo_Lake wrote:

@avjohnnie

Thank you for posting on HP Support Community.
 

Don't worry as I'll be glad to help, I have a few troubleshooting steps we could try to fix the issue:  

• Let's try this document: Cannot Connect to Web Services
• Also, refer to the article updating the printer's firmware,  - HP Printers - Updating or Upgrading Printer Firmware

Hope this helps! Keep me posted for further assistance.
Please click “Accept as Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution.

---

Echo_Lake,

Perhaps my post for this problem was in some manner unclear to you?

The HP Document:

• Cannot Connect to Web Services

Is currently entirely useless for all HP 8600 series printers on the previous version 1829 FW. This is because these printers will not take the latest 2011A FW update which HP has released for them - when tried, the updater indicates that the FW is NOT APPLICABLE for the 8600.

Please note that the previous version 1829 FW automatically self-installed on my 8600 via the printer's built-in Web Services. It was my understanding that HP released the previous 1829 FW to remediate the security issues described in HP Document ID: c06097712 ... (which I include below):

Important Print Security Update

HP was recently made aware of a vulnerability in certain inkjet printers by a third-party researcher. HP has updates available for download to address the vulnerability. Details and more information are available in the Security Bulletin  (https://support.hp.com/us-en/document/c06097712)

SUPPORT COMMUNICATION- SECURITY BULLETIN

Document ID: c06097712

Version: 4

HPSBHF03589 rev. 4 - HP Ink Printers Remote Code Execution

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

Release date : 01-Aug-2018

Last updated : 13-Aug-2018

Potential Security Impact:

Reported by: TBA

VULNERABILITY SUMMARY

Two security vulnerabilities have been identified with certain HP Inkjet printers. A maliciously crafted file sent to an affected device can cause a stack or static buffer overflow, which could allow remote code execution.

Reference Number

CVE-2018-5924, CVE-2018-5925, PSR-2018-0072

SUPPORTED SOFTWARE VERSIONS*: ONLY impacted versions are listed.

See RESOLUTION section.

BACKGROUND

For a PGP signed version of this security bulletin please write to: hp-security-alert@hp.com

CVSS 3.0 Base Metrics

RESOLUTION

HP has provided firmware updates for impacted printers as set forth in the table below. To obtain the updated firmware, go to the HP Software and Drivers page for your product and find the firmware update from the list of available software.

For guidance on how to update your product firmware, go to the Upgrading Printer Firmware page and follow the instructions provided.

As for your other suggestion web-link:

•  HP Printers - Updating or Upgrading Printer Firmware

It's for an entirely different model HP product, a 9020 - Are you suggesting that I should somehow install FW for a 9020 onto my Pro 8600 Premium Officejet? Assuming the 9020 FW does install, and that it doesn't in so doing "brick" my 8600, will the 8600 then regain all of its previous Web Services functionality and usability?

[Echo_Lake]

@avjohnnie

Thank you for posting back.

I appreciate your efforts to try and resolve the issue.

As we have limited support boundaries in the support community as of now.

I would request you to contact our Support and our Support Engineers should be able to sort this out. HP Support can be reached by clicking on the following link: www.hp.com/contacthp/

Please feel free to contact us here anytime you need any further assistance. Please click “Accept as Solution” if you feel my post solved your issue, it will help others find the solution.

[avjohnnie]

I find it extremely doubtful that contacting HP's Technical Support will in any way be helpful, either to me, nor to any other 8600 series OfficeJet owner. There are multitudes of postings, in one form or another, about this 8600 problem posted throughout the HP Community. Something HP did last fall has literally "cut them off" from HP Web Services - including the ability to firmware update them - Here are just few examples of these posts...

1. https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Printer-Setup-Software-Drivers/HP-Officejet-Pro-8600-N911g-Firmware-Up...
2. https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Printer-Wireless-Networking-Internet/ePrint-stopped-working-on-12-2-20...
3. https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Printer-Wireless-Networking-Internet/Can-t-connect-to-e-print-server-f...

So - this 8600 Web Services problem is entirely of HP's own making - Please note that the User (in thread #2) who was able to update their firmware and thereby resolve this problem had a different Model OfficeJet (and different firmware) - theirs is a HP OfficeJet Pro 8740...

We 8600 series owners are still waiting for HP to issue firmware that we can actually install, and thereby (hopefully) fix this Web Services problem HP created for us.