9100 - Printers
Overview
Multi-Function Printers (MFP) incorporates the functionality of multiple devices in one, typically some or all of the following devices: email, fax, photocopier, printer, scanner. Some MFP also support more advanced features: Active Directory integration, SNMP support, wireless connection, ...
The TCP Port 9100 is commonly used by printer manufacturers, and by CUPS and the Windows printing architecture, as the TCP port to establish a bidirectional channel to send and receive raw data. Indeed, the port 9100, also referred to as JetDirect, AppSocket or PDL-datastream, is not used by a specific printing protocol but to send data that will be directly processed by the printing device.
MFP usually support one or all of the following printing languages:
Printer Command Language (PCL), used to encode printed documents. Considered to be the de facto industry standard with a wider adoption.
PostScript, similar to PCL and used to encode printed documents. The processing required printer side to use PostScript induce a higher implementation cost, reserved to high-end printers.
Printer Job Language (PJL), conceived as an extension to PCL that adds job level controls, environment and file system commands, etc.
Network scan
nmap can be used to scan the network for accessible printers (with port 9100 open):
Unrestricted document printing
SNMP
Printer Exploitation Toolkit (PRET)
PRET is a tool for printer security testing that connects to a printer via network through port 9100 or USB and exploits the features of a given printer language.
PRET interfaces UNIX-like commands to the PostScript, Printer Job Language (PJL) or Printer Command Language (PCL) languages which are supported by most laser printers.
PRET can be used to:
capture or manipulate print jobs
access the printer's file system and memory
cause physical damage to the device
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