How to remediate – Zebra ZTC Printer Web Interface Default Admin Password

1. Introduction

The Zebra ZTC Printer Web Interface Default Admin Password vulnerability means a printer’s web management page has a pre-set username and password. This allows anyone on the network to access and change printer settings without proper authorisation. Businesses are at risk of unauthorised configuration changes, data breaches if print jobs contain sensitive information, or denial of service. Systems affected are Zebra printers with a ZTC (Zebra Technologies Cloud) enabled web interface. A successful exploit could compromise confidentiality, integrity, and availability of the printer and potentially the network it is connected to.

2. Technical Explanation

The vulnerability occurs because Zebra printers ship with default administrative credentials that are often not changed. An attacker can use these known credentials to log in to the web interface remotely. There isn’t a specific CVE associated with this issue, but it is a common configuration weakness (CWE-798: Use of Hard-coded Credentials). For example, an attacker could simply enter the default username and password into the printer’s web login page from any network connected browser to gain full control. Affected products include Zebra ZTC enabled printers across various models and firmware versions.

• Root cause: The use of a predictable default administrative password on the printer’s web interface.
• Exploit mechanism: An attacker attempts to log in using the default credentials via the printer’s web interface.
• Scope: Zebra ZTC enabled printers, versions vary depending on model.

3. Detection and Assessment

You can check if a system is vulnerable by attempting to log in with default credentials or checking the printer’s firmware version against known affected ranges.

• Quick checks: Access the printer’s web interface via a browser and attempt login using common default usernames (e.g., ‘admin’) and passwords (e.g., ‘1234’, ‘password’).
• Scanning: Nessus vulnerability ID d3f2b5f5 can identify this issue, but results should be manually verified.
• Logs and evidence: Examine printer logs for successful login attempts using default credentials; log locations vary by model.

ping 

4. Solution / Remediation Steps

Change the default password to a strong, unique value.

4.1 Preparation

• Dependencies: Access to the printer’s web interface and knowledge of the current password (if changed previously). Roll back by restoring the configuration from the backup if needed.
• A change window may be required depending on business needs, with approval from the IT security team.

4.2 Implementation

1. Step 1: Access the printer’s web interface using a web browser.
2. Step 2: Log in as an administrator (using default credentials if necessary).
3. Step 3: Navigate to the ‘Security’ or ‘Administration’ section of the web interface.
4. Step 4: Change the administrative password to a strong, unique value.
5. Step 5: Save the changes and log out.

4.3 Config or Code Example

Before

Username: admin
Password: password

After

Username: 
Password: 

4.4 Security Practices Relevant to This Vulnerability

Practices that directly address this vulnerability type include least privilege and safe defaults.

• Practice 1: Least privilege – limiting access rights reduces the impact if an account is compromised.
• Practice 2: Safe defaults – avoiding default credentials prevents easy exploitation.

4.5 Automation (Optional)

Automation may be possible via Zebra’s printer management tools, but this depends on your specific setup and toolset.

# Example script using ZPL to change password - requires further adaptation for your environment
 ! 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0