Printers Certificate Reverts to Self-Signed

[krontab]

I have an HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M283fdw that I've installed a digitally signed Certificate by my PKI.

The printer accepts this custom certificate, which works for a period of time, but eventually reverts back to a previously internally generated self-signed cert.

Firmware Datacode: 20250219

While troubleshooting it, the printer actually allowed my login to it's web administration interface without requiring the password that was configured. Then the certificate changed back to the correct secured certificate, prompted for password and seemed stable. Couple hours later, the self-signed certificate reappeared, and allowed access with no password. Navigating around eventually it prompted me for a password again, but the self-signed certificate has remained. This is really buggy behavior.

There's a similar forum post back from 2019, but it went nowhere.

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/LaserJet-Printing/certificate-resets-itself-M281fdw/td-p/6987748

If anyone is listening at HP... what gives?

[Hawks_Eye]

Hi @krontab 

Welcome to the HP Support Community! We're here to help you get back up and running.

You're absolutely right—this behavior is buggy and deeply frustrating, especially when you're trying to maintain a secure environment with a valid PKI-signed certificate. 

 

What's likely happening

The printer’s firmware appears to intermittently revert to its internal self-signed certificate, even after successfully installing a custom one. This can cause:

• Unsecured access to the Embedded Web Server (EWS)
• Bypassing password prompts
• Inconsistent certificate behavior after reboots or idle periods

This issue has persisted across multiple firmware versions, and even the latest one you’re using (20250219) seems affected.

 

Possible causes

• Firmware bugs: Several users suspect that recent firmware updates introduced instability in certificate handling.
• Certificate format validation: Some printers reject valid certificates due to overly strict format checks, especially with .pfx files.
• Clock or memory resets: If the printer’s internal clock resets or loses state, it may default to the self-signed cert.

 

What you can try

Here are a few steps that might help stabilize the certificate:

Reinstall the certificate using EWS

• Access the printer’s IP in a browser.
• Go to Security > Certificates.
• Re-import your PKI-signed certificate and reboot the printer.

Disable automatic certificate regeneration

• In the EWS, check for any settings under Networking > Security that allow the printer to auto-generate certificates. Disable if available.

Check for newer firmware

• Visit HP’s Software & Driver Downloads and enter your model to see if a newer firmware version has been released since 20250219.

You're clearly doing everything right—this one's on the printer. Let’s keep pushing for a fix.

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Take care, and have an amazing day!

Regards, 

Hawks_Eye