Get all your news in one place.
100's of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Tom’s Hardware
Tom’s Hardware
Technology
Jowi Morales

HP ink cartridge DRM bypass demonstrated using physical man-in-the-middle-attack

Man-in-the-middle PCB for refilled HP Ink Cartridge.

A refilled HP ink cartridge has been demonstrated using a man-in-the-middle attack to bypass HP’s strict printer ink digital rights management (DRM), which prevents consumers from using generic cartridges. YouTube creator Jay Summet shared a video (via Hackaday) showing this particular attack that lets users bypass HP’s user-unfriendly DRM practices.

Ink cartridge hacks have proliferated in the ink cartridge markets, especially as HP and other printer manufacturers sell their ink at exorbitant prices (presumably to recoup their initial investment in their printers) which they reportedly sell at a loss. Because of these high prices, many have resorted to using third-party cartridges, which printer makers have attempted to stop by embedding chips.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100's of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.