Microsoft is changing the way Windows handles printers, which should make for a much safer experience overall - but could also mean that some older devices may no longer be supported.
In a blog post published by Johnathan Norman of the Microsoft Offensive Research & Security Engineering (MORSE), it was explained that the printing experience hasn’t changed much over the past 20 years.
Until now, Windows relied on third-party drivers to make printers work, and some of those drivers were decades old and, as such, a major security liability. Print Nightmare, for example, was an attack that recently abused vulnerable printer drivers to cause chaos.
Mopria printers
Now, Microsoft is introducing a new printing mode dubbed "Windows Protected Print Mode (WPP)" which it says will let users access Windows’ modern print stack by simply plugging in their printers.
"We believe users should be Secure-by-Default which is why WPP will eventually be on by default in Windows," Norman explained.
This suggests that third-party drivers will no longer be necessary, as most printers will work on a single stack updated and maintained by Microsoft.
The keyword here is "most" printers - which means that some probably won’t work. The new stack only works with Mopria-certified printers which, according to multiple media sources, there are plenty. HP, Samsung, Canon, Xerox, and others, all have Mopria-certified printers, and if your endpoint is of a newer date, chances are it’s certified. Older models, however, will probably not be supported and if you’re using Windows 11, you’ll likely have to get them replaced.
It could be worth the trouble, Norman hints, stating that the Windows print system has been "a key target" for attackers. "The Spooler runs with high privileges and must load code from the network which is difficult to accomplish with low friction and high security," he explains. "Print bugs played a role in Stuxnet and Print Nightmare, and account for 9% of all Windows cases reported to MSRC."
MORSE analyzed past MSRC cases for Windows Print and found that the protected mode mitigated over half of those vulnerabilities.
The new feature is currently being rolled out to Insiders.
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