Starting July 7, 2025, Google ’s AI assistant, Gemini, is getting deeper access to your Android apps—whether you use it or not. According to an email shared by Android Authority , Gemini will soon interact with messaging apps like WhatsApp, helping with tasks such as sending messages or setting timers, even if you’ve never turned on Gemini Apps Activity. This sudden change has raised privacy concerns, especially since Google’s initial announcement was vague about how much control users actually have. The good news? Google later clarified that with Gemini Apps Activity turned off, your private chats won’t be reviewed or used to train AI models. But if you’re uncomfortable with Gemini having any access to your apps, you’ll need to manually disable the feature. See also: Hate Gemini? Here’s how to revert to Google Assistant How to disable Gemini’s access to your apps Turn off Gemini Apps Activity Open the Gemini app, tap your profile picture, and select Gemini Apps...
Millions of printers from Brother and other manufacturers are exposed to serious security flaws, some of which can’t be patched, according to new research from cybersecurity firm Rapid7. The vulnerabilities affect hundreds of printer models worldwide, with Brother devices being the most impacted.
Rapid7 discovered eight security flaws across 689 Brother printers, scanners, and label printers. The issue also extends to 46 Fujifilm, 6 Konica Minolta, 5 Ricoh, and 2 Toshiba models that use Brother components. The severity of these flaws ranges from moderate (CVSS score 5.3) to critical (CVSS score 9.8), with the most dangerous one being CVE-2024-51978.
This flaw allows hackers to guess a printer’s default admin password because Brother uses a weak algorithm that generates passwords based on the device’s serial number and a fixed table. Once attackers gain access, they can take control of the printer and potentially attack other devices on the same network.
Other vulnerabilities let hackers steal sensitive data, crash the printer, or even access passwords of connected devices. While Brother has released firmware updates to fix seven of the eight flaws, the critical password issue can’t be patched, as it’s built into the manufacturing process. The company says future models will have a more secure system, but existing users must manually change their admin passwords to stay protected.
To reduce risk, Brother recommends updating firmware, setting a strong admin password, and restricting printer access through firewalls or isolated networks. The company is working with Rapid7 and JPCERT/CC to address the flaws, but users should take immediate action to secure their devices.
Source: Rapid7 | Via: Bleeping Computer
This article, Millions of printers around the globe vulnerable to hacking due to unfixable security flaw, was originally published at NoypiGeeks | Philippines Technology News, Reviews and How to's.
Comments
Post a Comment